Broken Walls
by LoneGunGirl88
Summary: Everyone Kay cares for ends up dead. When she goes back in time and meets Captain Jack Sparrow can she let down her walls and trust him? Follows the events of the movie.
1. Default Chapter

Okay, this here be my first fanfic. Please be kind! Um, ok, got nothing else to say. Lawyer: (taps foot) Ahem! Me: ooops! Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean! (cries) But I do own Kay! She's mine! Okay, well please r and r. Uh, I have to do something while you do... (turns to look evily at lawyer, who gulps and backs up) Sic im! (Lawyer is attacked by my pet dragon) Lawyer: Help!  
Broken Walls  
  
Chapter 1: A Life Defined By Wearing Black  
Kay stood on the deck of a pirate ship. She watched as the crew worked on their various tasks, wind blowing their hair, spray splashing their faces. But Kay's hair was not blown by the wind, nor she wet by the sea spray. She was dreaming, and she knew it, and she didn't want to move for fear that she would wake and end the dream.  
She was watching the two men at the ship's helm. One was wearing a tri- cornered hat over dread-locked dark hair, and had brown eyes. Kay could tell at a glance that this was the ship's captain. The other had blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. They were talking together in easy friendship.  
Then suddenly the captain looked up and saw her. His expression changed to one of shock. His companion called his name, confusion on his face.  
"Captain? Jack? Hey Jack!"  
The image started to fade as Kay watched Jack turn and ask his companion Bill if he could see the girl too.  
Kay opened her eyes groggily. Her mother was shaking her awake.  
"Kay wake up. Your father and I are leaving in a few minutes."  
Kay groaned, then glanced at her bedside cloak. 10:52. Damn, she'd slept late. "Okay mom, I'll be down in a few minutes." Her mother left the room, leaving Kay to ponder the last part of her dream. The pirate captain had seen her. No one else in the dream had. That was strange.  
Kay shook it off and went downstairs to say goodbye to her parents. They were going to a party hosted by her dad's boss and would not be back until later that night.  
As Kay locked the door after her parents she saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned quickly, but when she looked closer there was nothing there. But she could have sworn for an instant that she had seen the pirate captain from her dream.  
~*~  
Later, around 8:30 p.m., Kay was watching the weather report. It had rained, then temperatures had dropped, freezing the rain into the roads making driving treacherous. She ran her fingers through her long, dark brown hair, then fixed her bandanna, which was slipping off her head.  
Kay was obsessed with pirates, so for her 16th birthday she had been given a ton of pirate stuff. Her parents had given her some outfits, like the black pants and red shirt she was wearing, and her grandmother had given her a bag full of bandannas and some jewelry. Then Kay's mother had passed down to Kay her locket, a gold heart half the size of her palm, with pictures each of her mom and dad.  
A knock on the door interrupted Kay's thoughts. Glancing out the window Kay saw a cop on the doorstep. Curious and worried Kay opened the door.  
"Are you Kay Joans?" asked the cop.  
A thousand dire possibilities raced through Kay's mind before she answered. "Yes. I am."  
The cop sighed heavily. "I'm afraid I have some bad news..."  
~*~  
Kay was standing in the rain at her parent's funeral, not really listening as the priest droned on endlessly. She was numb, not allowing herself to feel anything. She had built a wall around herself and she wasn't letting anyone in. If she let the wall down, she knew she would hurt.  
Her eyes scanned the grounds beyond the two coffins and the crowd of well wishers. She caught a flicker of movement behind one of the other tombstones and turned away, not wanting to have to see another person visiting a dead loved one, so she didn't see the pirate from her dream step out from behind the tombstone. She didn't see his eyes light on her in recognition, or see as the eyes of everyone who looked in his direction pass through him without seeing him before he finally vanished.  
~*~  
Kay took sleeping pills that night, knowing that she'd never get any rest otherwise. In her dream she walked along a beach. She looked around and saw that she was on a small island. Up ahead she could see a small campfire. When she came up to it Kay wasn't too surprised to see the pirate captain. She was surprised to see the tangle of emotions that crossed his face in between gulps of what she assumed was some kind of alcohol.  
Anger, a dazed confusion, grief, and apathy warred for prominence in his expression. Then he looked up and saw Kay. The scene faded to nothing.  
~*~  
As Kay was still a minor she was taken to foster care. There, she was taken under the sheltering wings of three girls, Kia, Lennet, and Marie. Over the course of a year she and the girls became closer than sisters and Kay let down the walls she had built up after her parents died.  
Then Kia developed leukemia. She battled it for six months, then finally went into remission. Everyone relaxed and life slowly returned to normal. Until three months later when Lennet fell down the stairs and broke her neck. Kay's life was thrown into a whirlpool of hell as she struggled to build up her walls again, but was unable to keep out Kia and Marie, who grieved with her. This time she wasn't alone.  
But four months after that Kia's cancer came back with a vengeance. The doctor's were unable to do anything and Kia died two months later. Kay was left with only Marie to turn to.  
During her first year of college Kay fell in love with a boy named Darren. He was fun, and loved adventure. Kay again let down her walls and laid her trust to Darren. Then over the winter break Darren went on a ski trip, and was killed in a skiing accident.  
Over the summer break Kay and Marie went to the beach. The tides turned unexpectedly and Marie was caught in a riptide. By the time she was brought back to shore the lifeguard could not start her breathing again, she had drowned.  
Standing at Marie's funeral Kay wondered dimly how many more she would attend. It seemed her life's defining factor was wearing black. No more, she decided, no more. Everyone I care for ends up dead. I can't get close to anyone. If I do I'll lose them and I'll just get hurt again. So no more. Kay built up her walls again, tall and strong. She had no one left and never again would she let them down for anyone. She would just be hurt if she did.  
~*~  
Okay, tell me what u think. Remember this is my first fanfic so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no flames! I'll update soon if people like it. If not I'll update anyway because I like it! ^_^ Oh, the lawyer is gonna live for those of you who want to know. He will, however, continue to be the plaything of my dragon. (grins evily) 


	2. Of Dreams and Fugitives

Okay, stupid me ended the last chapter early. So I'll just tack the end on to the beginning of chapter two. I had been wondering why it was so short... Lawyer: (wiggles out from under coils of dragon) "You're forgetting something again." Me: "You lawyers exist simply to torture storywriters like me, right?" Lawyer: "Of course." Me: sigh. "Fine. I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any characters of said movie. Happy now!?" Lawyer: "yes." (Dragon starts chewing on lawyer's head.) Me: "Goooooooooooood dragon." (Audience taps feet) "Ah, On with the story then!"  
  
Chapter 2: Of Dreams and Fugitives  
  
Kay stood in front of her open closet, staring at her reflection in the mirror on the back of the closet door. She was 26 now, tall, skinny, and slightly muscular from her constant trips to the gym, the only activity she took up with any regularity. She kept her dark brown hair long, it reached halfway down her back, and she had short bangs that shaded her sea- green eyes. Her mother's eyes. Eyes filled with more misery and loneliness in her unguarded moments than any person had a right to know.  
Kay turned away from her reflection and rummaged along the top shelf of her closet, feeling for her purse. Her hand encountered a strap and she tugged, but instead of her purse a bookbag came toppling down onto her head. Kay knelt down to examine the bag. The material felt waterproof, it looked more like a small camping bag than a bookbag Kay decided. It was full and Kay wondered what she stored in here. She tugged the zipper open then dropped her jaw in surprise. This was the bag she had stored all of her pirate stuff in, all her outfits, her bandannas, and her jewelry.  
Smiling for the first time in a long time Kay selected an outfit, black pants and red shirt, and changed into it. She tied a red bandanna into her hair and used a longer one that was white and black with a pattern of gold coins as a belt. Lastly she put on a pair of small, gold hoop earrings and stood up to admire her reflection.  
I really look the part Kay thought to herself. She knelt down again to rummage through the bag some more. Her hand came out holding a necklace. Kay stared at it in shock. It was the locket her mother had given her. With trembling fingers Kay undid the latch and slipped it on her neck, then with fingers still shaking she opened it and stared at the pictures of her parents for the first time years. She felt hot tears form at the corners of her eyes and blinked them away. Thinking of her parents reminded her of how happy she was when she was younger, and of how lonely and miserable she was now.  
I wish I had someone, anyone, Kay thought desperately. I wish that I didn't have to be so lonely. She sniffed and wiped a hand across her eyes, then took a deep breath to calm herself. And tasted salty sea air. Huh?  
Kay snapped her eyes open in startlement and glanced around. She wasn't in her apartment anymore, she was standing on a dock. Around her people were unloading ships, preparing others to set sail, and simply running back and forth on errands.  
Kay glanced down to see her bag still at her feet. She snatched it up and clutched it to her chest, looking around in a panic. Where the hell am I!? She wanted to wail. She had an answer almost instantly. Behind her she heard someone say "Welcome to Port Royal Mister Smith..."  
  
Okay that was all supposed to be part of chapter 1. Oh well. Here's where chapter 2 actually was supposed to start.  
  
Kay whipped around so fast she nearly fell. She saw one man, well dressed, walking towards the end of the docks and another, rather raggedy dressed man with dreadlocks, a trenchcoat, and a tri-cornered hat walking towards her. He looked like a pirate and Kay realized that there was something familiar about him.  
Curious, she followed him as he walked through the docks until he came to a section that was relatively empty except for two guards. He obviously had his sites set on the ship that they were guarding. The two guards stopped him, and Kay crept closer so that she could listen to their conversation.  
"The Black Pearl is a real ship."  
"No, it's not."  
"Yes it is, I've seen it."  
Kay watched in utter fascination as the two guards got so involved in their argument that they didn't notice the pirate, as Kay labeled him, sneak onto the ship to stand at the helm.  
"Like I said. There's no real ship that can match the Interceptor..." the men suddenly realized that the pirate was now on the ship. Kay doubled over in silent laughter as the two guards comically went chasing after him. She watched the three start a conversation, but in order to hear it Kay would have to move closer, and they would see her if she did.  
So with a sigh Kay turned her attention to the fort on the cliffs, just in time to see a woman fall off and splash into the water so far below. A man up on the fort screamed after her, his yell echoing down to where Kay was standing. Two other men raced to restrain him as he made to jump in after the girl. Then they disappeared, presumably coming down to the docks.  
Kay heard another splash and turned to see that the pirate had dove into the water after the girl. A sudden ripple passed through the water, and the wind picked up speed and intensity in a matter of seconds. Kay's hand flew to her head, futilely trying to keep her hair in place as the two guards ran off the boat and onto the docks. The pirate surfaced with the girl and Kay, unnoticed, crept closer to watch.  
As quickly as it had picked up, the wind died down again. The two guards were panicking because the girl wasn't breathing. The pirate simply slit the girl's corset and she instantly started coughing up water and gasping for air.  
"I never would have thought of that," muttered one of the guards.  
"Clearly you've never been to Singapore," replied the pirate. Just then the man from the fort, a well-dressed man, and more guards ran past Kay without seeing her. "On your feet the man snarled at the pirate, pointing his sword to the pirate's throat.  
"Elizabeth, are you all right," asked the man who most be her father, helping her up. She nodded. Then her father looked over at the pirate. "Shoot him!" he demanded.  
"Father! Commodore! Do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" demanded Elizabeth. The guards lowered their weapons and the Commodore stretched out his hand.  
"I believe thanks are in order," he said. Hesitantly, the pirate took his hand. The Commodore jerked his sleeve above his wrist. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company did we? Pirate. Gillette, fetch some irons." I was right, he is a pirate, Kay thought. The Commodore jerked the pirates sleeve up further. "Well well. Jack Sparrow." A memory tugged at Kay's mind, but she brushed it away.  
"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please." Corrected Jack.  
"I don't see your ship, captain," sneered the Commodore.  
"I'm in the market as it were." Jack said. Just then someone walked up with the irons and proceeded to shackle Jack's wrists. Then Jack glanced up and his eyes found Kay's. His eyes got wider and her feeling of recognition increased. Where had she seen him before?  
Then their attentions were taken by Elizabeth as she jumped in to protest. "Pirate or not this man saved my life," she said. Stepping in front of Jack, facing the Commodore.  
The Commodore turned to her. "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," he told her.  
"Though it seems enough to condemn him," interjected Jack.  
"Indeed," muttered the Commodore, turning away as Gillette finished shackling Jack.  
"Finally," exclaimed Jack, throwing his chain around Elizabeth's neck. "Commodore my effects please. And my hat." He demanded. "Commodore!" Grudgingly the Commodore handed the pirates things to Elizabeth, who turned and put them on Jack. He backed up then, taking Elizabeth with him. "Gentlemen, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow." He shoved Elizabeth at the guards, grabbed a rope, kicked a lever and went flying into the air.  
The solders opened fire on him as his feet found purchase on a bar. When he threw his chain over a rope and slid down Kay moved, running after him. She blended with the people on the dock, ducking down and running, presumably away from the solders continued gunfire. She chased Jack over a bridge and into town and on one street watched him duck into a niche between two shops, behind a statue. Kay stopped in front of the statue. Not a minute later some solders rounded a corner and demanded of Kay if she had seen a pirate.  
Kay put on a shrill voice and pointed down the street. "He went that way. Please hurry! Catch him!" she wailed. The solders took off. "They're gone," Kay whispered, stepping away from the statue and slipping down the street.  
  
Jack: "They're gone," the girl whispered. Jack stepped out from behind the statue and caught sight of her retreating down the street. She glanced over her shoulder and he got another look at her face. She was startlingly familiar.  
Shaking off his shocked feeling Jack ducked into the shop nearest him, the Blacksmith's. He needed to get the chains off his wrists. Closing the door he looked around and saw a man asleep, and snoring, in a chair in the corner. An empty bottle was on the floor next to him. Jack snorted, that man wasn't waking up anytime soon.  
Jack grabbed a poker from the fire and jabbed the donkey, which jumped and bolted, starting the smithy. He jammed his chains in the machine wheel, and it snapped, freeing his wrists. Then the door started to open. Jack dove for cover as the blacksmith's apprentice came in.  
  
Kay: Kay watched the young blacksmith enter the shop. Concerned, she began to look for a way around to the back of the shop, not wanting to be seen by the young man, so not wanting to go in through the front.  
She found an ally that cut over to the street behind the blacksmith's shop and slipped up it. Kay was glad to get out of the eyes of the people because everyone was staring at her strangely, probably because of the way she was dressed.  
Kay found the back door and slipped in unnoticed just in time to see the young blacksmith throw a sword at Jack's back. Kay was too surprised to scream. The sword buried itself in the door above the door bar, preventing Jack from lifting it and getting out.  
"That is a wonderful trick," said Jack, turning, "but you are once again between me and my way out, and now you have no weapon."  
The young blacksmith simply seized a sword heating in a fire and the two of them went at it. Kay slipped away from the door, still unnoticed by the two combatants, watching the fight from the opposite side of the room. At one point the two managed to launch themselves into the ceiling rafters, continuing to fight while balancing on beams as wide as their hands. The fight ended when the two swung down to the floor and Jack blasted sand into the blacksmith's face. By the time he got his eyes cleared and a weapon in his hand Jack had a pistol pointed at his head.  
"You cheated," the blacksmith complained.  
"Pirate," responded Jack.  
The front door of the shop rattled, as people outside tried to get in. The blacksmith moved to stand between Jack and the back door.  
"Move," demanded Jack, pistol still raised.  
"No."  
"Please move."  
"No! I cannot stand by and let you escape."  
"This shot wasn't meant for you," Jack pleaded. A confused look crossed the blacksmith's face, then the man who had been sleeping in the corner walked up behind Jack and hit him over the head with a bottle. Kay had been so intent on the other two that she hadn't seen him. Jack toppled over as the front door burst open and the solders came spilling into the room.  
"Good work Mr. Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive," the Commodore said, striding forward.  
"Just doing my civic duty," said Mr. Brown drunkenly. Kay stuffed a fist in her mouth to keep from snickering too loudly. She watched as the solders dragged Jack off, then slipped out of the shop to follow them. The young blacksmith glanced up and saw Kay slip out the door, but decided not to call after her.  
Kay followed the solders to the jail, trailing behind them in the shadows. When she saw them enter the jailhouse she looked around to see where she was, staying outside.  
She was starting to attract attention again, and cursed that the only clothing she had in her bag was pirate-style-things. Glancing around she saw a cloak folded on top of a crate. Silently apologizing to whoever owned it, Kay snicked it off the crate and slipped it between her pack and her chest. Nobody noticed. Kay walked back to the docks and slipped the cloak on, hiding her outfit.  
Then she sat on a crate and stared out to sea, thinking. Why did Jack look so familiar? Where had she seen him before? She shut her eyes, struggling to remember.  
Then she had it. Those dreams she had had, years ago. Jack was the same pirate as the one her dreams.  
Am I dreaming now? Kay wondered. She pinched her arm, feeling the sharp pain. Nope, not a dream then. But if this wasn't a dream, then were those really dreams, Kay wondered. She sat contemplating for a few hours, watching the sun set over the sea, creating sparkling jewels on the surface of the water.  
It was well after sunset when the pirate ship sailed into the harbor. Kay, lost in thought still, didn't see it. But she did hear the cannon fire that shattered the night silence. That snapped her head up in time to see the rowboats being launched. In a panic, Kay turned and fled back into town.  
  
Jack: Jack was lying on his cell bench, listening to the pirates in the next cell try to call over to them the dog with the cell keys in its mouth by offering it a bone.  
"You can keep doing that forever, that dog is never going to move," Jack advised.  
"Well excuse us if we ain't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet," one of the pirates responded.  
Jack went back to his thoughts, more specifically to the ones about that girl he'd seen earlier. She was so damned familiar, so why couldn't he place her? It was extremely frustrating but Jack wasn't giving up. Where had he seen her before? Certainly not on his ship. Wait. A memory flickered across his mind.  
Standing at the helm of his ship, looking down onto the deck to see a pale, translucent girl looking up at him with sea-green eyes, face framed by deep brown hair. He remembered turning to his companion and asking, "Can you see her Bill?" But his friend had replied "See who?"  
When he'd gone to sleep later he'd dreamed of being in a strange house, watching the girl bid farewell to her parents. And not a week after that he'd dreamed of seeing her again, this time at a funeral, wearing a mask of calmness that he knew hid so much grief that his own heart ached in sympathy.  
Jack's excited realization was interrupted by the blast of a cannon.  
"I know those guns," he said jumping up to stand on his cell bench and look out the window at the ship anchored in the harbor. "It's the Pearl," he muttered, while outside the town erupted in terrified chaos.  
~*~ Okay, end of chapter 2. Again, please review, and feel free to ask any questions you may have, or point out any mistakes I made so that I can correct them. Thank You. 


	3. Accords

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. (cries) Lawyer: HELP! (Dragon continues to chew on him) Me: Hey! I'm taking a vote on whether you want me to let the lawyer go or not. Just remember that lawyers torture us all with their insistence that we add these cursed disclaimers. Lawyer: That's not fair! Me: I'm a pirate. Duh.  
  
Chapter 3: Accords  
  
Kay pelted through town in abject terror. The pirates had arrived and were wreaking havoc on everything and everyone. Kay was surrounded by screaming, frightened people.  
Someone grabbed Kay's shoulder suddenly from behind and she fell, twisting around quickly to see who had attacked her. She found herself staring up at the leering face of a pirate. Her shriek of terror grabbed the attention of the blacksmith, who was fighting nearby. He rushed over and stabbed the pirate in the back, then extended a hand to Kay to help her up.  
"You need to find someplace to hide," he told her. Kay wanted to, but fear held her rooted to the spot. Suddenly the blacksmith looked off to the side, fear and surprise on his face. Kay turned to look and saw the girl from the docks, Elizabeth, being pulled away by two pirates. The blacksmith made to go to her, but another pirate running past him whacked him over the head and he toppled backwards, unconscious.  
With her one protector down, Kay turned and streaked off again, running as if she had demons on her tail. She found herself at the jail, and the guard was turned away from her, facing two pirates who were obviously headed his way. She pushed open the door and bolted down the stairs. It was pure luck that kept her from falling and breaking her neck. She ran past the cells, noticing with a detached corner of her mind that there was a gigantic hole in the wall of one cell and that the one next to it held a single occupant. Spotting a doorway at the end of the hall she ran through it and ducked off to the side to hug the wall, clutching her bag to her chest. No sooner had she cleared the doorway than she was followed by a dog, carrying in its mouth a ring of keys, and she heard two men enter the room. She peeked around the wall to see them, praying that they couldn't hear her ragged breathing.  
  
Jack: The girl pelted past his cell like a blur and ducked for shelter through the storeroom doorway at the end of the room, followed almost immediately by the dog. He would have felt peeved, but before he could the guard came crashing down the stairs to land in a heap at the bottom, followed by two pirates.  
"Hey! This ain't the armory," one of the snapped. Then he spotted Jack and nudged his companion. "Well, well. Look what we have hear Twig. Captain Jack Sparrow. Last time I saw you, you was all alone on a god-forsaken island, shrinken into the distance. His fortunes haven't improved much."  
"Worry about your own fortunes," Jack responded. "The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers."  
The pirate shot his arm through the bar to grab Jack's throat. Jack heard a muffled gasp from the direction of the storeroom and knew the girl was watching. He glanced down and saw that the pirates arm had turned skeletal in the moonlight.  
"So there is a curse," Jack muttered. That's interesting."  
"You know nothing of hell," the pirate snarled. He released Jack and stalked away, his companion following.  
"That's very interesting," Jack said thoughtfully. He glanced towards the storeroom where the girl was fearfully looking out, probably trying to see if the pirates had gone. She glanced over at him, caught him looking and ducked back into the storeroom. Jack chuckled.  
  
Kay: Kay sat huddled against the wall, shaking. Her mind was a confused whirlwind, she was unable to concentrate on a single thought. When she finally managed to calm her mind down a bit, one thought came to the fore of her mind and stayed there. That man's arm had turned to bone! That shouldn't be possible, but Kay knew what she had seen. After a long time her reeling mind was finally cast into unconsciousness.  
~*~  
When Kay woke there was light shining in the room. Her back was stiff from sleeping upright against a hard wall all night. As she stood and stretched she wondered vaguely where she was. Then, like a tidal wave, all the events of the previous day came crashing into her head. Everything from standing in her room, to following Jack through town, to the pirate raid.  
Kay remained cool, all the panic of the previous night banished in the light of day. She examined her situation from every angle, knowing that it wasn't good. She was stuck in a place she didn't know, hell she wasn't even in her own century, she had no money, and she didn't know a soul. Well, that last wasn't exactly true. She glanced through the door at Jack, who was trying to pick the lock with a bone. She needed his help, Kay admitted to herself. But would he help her? She thought he had recognized her, when he saw her on the docks. Kay mentally shook herself. She could break him out. The dog was cowering under a bench at the opposite end of the room. That was her bargaining chip. She took a deep breath and walked out to confront Jack.  
She walked to stand in front of his cell, and turned to face him. He was staring at her curiously. Kay took another deep breath.  
"I have a proposition for you," she said quietly. "I can get you out of here."  
"The key's run off luv, ow you plannin on doin that?" he asked.  
"I know where that dog went and I can get the keys. But you have to agree to do something for me first."  
"And what's that?"  
Kay took a breath, then answered. "You have to take me with you." Whatever Jack had been expecting, it wasn't that. He looked like someone had hit him over the head with something hard and heavy.  
"Ye want to travel with a pirate," he asked incredulously.  
Kay smiled. "I've dreamed about being a pirate since I was a child. I thought it would be a grand adventure. Besides, I have no where to go, hell I don't even know where I am. You can help me, and I can help you." She decided to try some pirate speech, and extending her hand through the bars asked, "Do we have an accord?"  
Jack smiled as he took her hand. "Aye, we do. Now go find that mangy cur so we can leave."  
Kay trotted back into the storeroom. As soon as she disappeared the young blacksmith came clambering down the stairs, but intent on what she was doing Kay didn't hear him.  
Kay ducked under the dog's bench and grabbed the ring of keys in its mouth but the dog wasn't letting go. The two played tug-of-war until a loud clang from the jail caused the dog to yelp and drop the keys. Kay snatched them up and returned to the cells.  
"Are you suggesting that was a mistake?" she heard Jack ask. She paused on the doorframe, staring at the scene before her in shock. Jack's cell door was lying on the floor and Jack himself had a gun pointed at the head of the young blacksmith she had seen the previous day. Jack continued, "When you only have one shot it's best to wait for the opportune moment. That wasn't it." He lowered the gun. "Nor is this." Kay sighed. She really hadn't believed that he would fire.  
Jack looked up then, and saw her in the doorway. "There ye are luv." The blacksmith whipped around, startled.  
"I guess we don't need these," Kay muttered, and dropped the keys. The dog darted forward and snatched them up, then darted back under its bench. Kay didn't know what to do. The agreement had been that she get Jack out and then he'd take her with him, but now she was unable to hold up her end of the deal. He had no reason to hold his. Jack turned to face her.  
"Ye comin luv?" he asked.  
"But I-"Kay started, confused.  
"I already said you were comin," Jack interrupted smoothly. "Ye still want to, I assume."  
Kay needed no further urging. She grabbed up her bag and walked over to join the two men, settling her bag more comfortably on her back.  
"Ye never told me yer name luv," Jack said. Kay stuck out her hand.  
"Kay Joans."  
"Captain Jack Sparrow." Kay took his hand, then extended hers to the blacksmith.  
"Will Turner," he said. He looked puzzled as to why she was there. Kay brought him back to the present.  
"Well gentlemen, I think we should be going."  
They slipped up the stairs and through the streets until they reached the beach near the docks. They ducked under a bridge, looking at the ships in the water.  
"We're going to steal a ship?" Will asked, incredulous. "That ship?"  
"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that ship, nautical term," Jack responded. "Just one question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"  
"I'd die for her," Will snapped fiercely.  
"Ah good. No worries then," said Jack, and turned back to watching the ships. He motioned for them to follow him and they ducked under a rowboat. When the sounds of passing feet faded they stood up and walked with the rowboat into the water. They were able to breathe the air trapped under the boat. Kay was impressed. This idea was sheer genius. Will echoed her thoughts.  
"This is either madness or brilliance," he muttered.  
"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Jack responded. Kay snorted. She heard a muffled crunch behind her and looking over her shoulder she saw that Will had caught his foot in a lobster trap. She caught his eye, then turned away as she started laughing. When they finally stopped Will was able to get it off.  
"We're going to swim up from here," Jack told them. Then, almost as an after thought he turned to Kay and asked "Can ye swim?"  
Kay felt annoyed. "I was on my high school and college swim and diving teams," she said waspishly.  
"I'll take that as a yes then," Jack muttered, obviously confused as to what high school and college were. "Alright, now." They all took deep breaths and kicked off from the ocean floor. Kay broke the surface first, and was wiping her eyes when the other two came up. They climbed the back of the ship, the Dauntless, so as to take the guards by surprise.  
"Stay here," Jack muttered to Kay, gesturing for her to hide behind the ship's wheel. Kay complied with good grace. She wasn't stupid, she had no weapons with which to attack or defend with. So she just watched as Jack and Will announced that they were taking over the ship and herded the guards into a rowboat which they dropped into the water. She then came out and went to help the two men get the ship ready to sail.  
After a bit she noticed that the ship nearer the shore, the Interceptor was coming on them fast. Will took off for the helm and Kay followed as quickly as she could.  
"Here they come," Will announced when he reached Jack. Jack turned and grinned, then grabbed the two and dragged them to hide. Soon enough the Interceptor pulled alongside and the men boarded the Dauntless. Kay heard the Commodore shouting for his men to search the ship for them. When the solders were busy searching Jack grabbed Kay around the waist, grabbed a rope, and swung over to the Interceptor with Kay clinging tightly to his neck. Will followed suit. Jack quickly pulled out a knife and cut all the ropes that connected the two ships. He ran to the helm as the Interceptor pulled away from the Dauntless.  
Kay heard the Commodore yell and knew he had seen them, but they had pulled to far for the solders to swing across. One of them proved that when he tried to swing over and landed in the water. Kay laughed when she heard Jack call back to the Commodore.  
"Thank you for making us ready to make way. We would have had a hard time of it by ourselves." Then they ducked as the solders started to fire on them.  
"Won't they try to follow us?" Will asked.  
"They'll try," Jack answered smugly. "But they won't get far. I disabled the rudder chain." Kay laughed again, vaguely realizing that it had been years since she had last been this happy. Still smiling, she turned to help the Jack and Will sail the ship.  
  
Yay! Chapter 3 done. This one took awhile, considering I was typing and watching Air Force 1 at the same time... ahem. Anyway please review. I only have one reviewer so far, ONE! Oh, and please tell me what you want me to do to the lawyer. (grins evily, lawyer gulps) 


	4. Resolutions

Okay I'm sorry I haven't updated and I'm sorry this is so short. I haven't had a lot of time lately. I'm gonna cut right to the story, no lawyer torturing today. Lawyer: whew! Disclaimer: (This is getting really annoying) I don't own POTC. Happy?  
  
Chapter 4: Resolutions  
Later in the afternoon the Interceptor was far out on the sea and no land was in sight, and they were sailing smoothly. Jack was at the helm, Kay was sitting at the top of the steps, and Will was sharpening his sword while talking about his childhood.  
"After my mother died I came out here looking for my father," he said.  
"That so?" Jack asked in a disinterested voice. Kay glanced at him curiously; he didn't look disinterested at all.  
Will continued. "My father, Bill Turner. At the jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help me. Since that was what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father." Kay was rather surprised. This was an interesting turn of events. Jack sighed, seeming to resign himself to something.  
"Aye. I knew him," he admitted. "Probably one of the only people who knew him as William Turner. Most everyone else just called him Bootstrap, or Bootstrap Bill."  
"Bootstrap?" asked Will.  
"Good man. Good pirate. I swear you look just like him," Jack said.  
"That's not true! My father was not a pirate!" Will snarled. "He was a merchant marine, a good respectable man who obeyed the law."  
"He was a pirate, a bloody scalawag." Jack said, exasperated. Kay stood up just as Will drew his sword.  
"My father was not a pirate!" he insisted.  
"My, doesn't someone have a bad case of denial," Kay muttered. Jack smirked, then told Will, "Put it away son. It's not worth getting beat again."  
"You didn't beat me," said Will. "You ignored the rules of engagement, in a fair fight I'd kill you."  
"Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, is it?" asked Jack, who'd apparently had enough. He swung the wheel causing the boom to swing out and strike Will square in the chest. Will hung on desperately as he was swung over the water.  
"Now pay attention," said Jack. "The only rules that matter are these. What a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance. You can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But pirate is in your blood boy, and you're gonna have to square with that someday. Now me for example. I can let you drown. But I can't land this ship in Tortuga with only Kay here to help me. So." He swung the wheel again and Will came swinging back in to land on his back on the deck. Jack pointed Will's sword at his throat. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" He flipped the sword so the handle was facing Will, who took it. "Or can you not?"  
Will got up and brushed himself off. "Tortuga?" he asked.  
"Tortuga," said Jack, sounding satisfied.  
Nothing else of interest was apparently going to happen, so Kay went down to the small cabin she had tossed her bag into. She opened it, pulling out all the clothes she had in there. The bag was made of a waterproof material, so they hadn't gotten more than a little damp. She had two extra pairs of pants and five shirts. She changed into a pair of brown leather pants and a white shirt, making sure to have a black tube top on under that, just in case she got wet. She folded up the clothes she had been wearing and put them at the bottom of her bag with a mental note to wash them the first chance she got.  
She fished a black bandanna out of the front compartment to use as a belt. She brushed out her hair and retied in her red bandanna. Just as she finished someone cleared their throat right outside her door. Glancing up she saw Will, looking a little uncomfortable.  
"Can I help you?" she asked.  
"I'm just looking for someone to talk to," Will answered.  
"Oh," said Kay, unsure of what to say. "Uh. Come in, I guess." She gestured to the only chair in the room, and she sat on the bed. Will entered and sat. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a minute until Will broke it.  
"How long have you known Jack?" he asked her curiously.  
"Officially since this morning, unofficially since yesterday afternoon," Kay responded. She wondered what had made him ask that.  
Will looked as though he didn't really believe her. "You two act like you know each other from somewhere. You're really comfortable with each other, like old friends."  
Now it was Kay who was becoming uncomfortable. She muttered something in reply, waving it off. Will persisted.  
"You don't act like you're from around here either. Your accent is funny too. Where are you from?"  
Kay steeled herself. She couldn't get out of this one forever. "Promise you won't think I'm crazy?" she asked. Will nodded. "Okay. Yesterday afternoon I was standing in my bedroom, and suddenly, between one breath and the next, I was on the Port Royal docks. Also, when I was in my room it was the 21st century. I think I came back in time," Kay finished. Will looked stunned. Well, he had wanted to know.  
  
Jack: "I think I came back in time." There was complete silence in the room after that. Jack didn't feel as surprised as he thought he should be.  
So that's why things were so different when I saw her in those dreams. She's from the future. He thought. That was certainly food for thought. She was adapting fairly quickly though, he gave her credit for that.  
"You don't believe me, do you?" he heard her ask.  
"You know the scary thing?" Will replied. "I think I do. I do believe you." There was silence again for a while. Jack walked back to the helm.  
Kay. It was a nice name. He thought back on when he had first seen her, all those years ago. She had been smiling and happy, carefree. Something had happened between then and now, something bad. He suspected it was probably many bad things. Her face displayed surface emotion only, not letting anyone inside. He suspected that today was the first day Kay had laughed and enjoyed herself in a long time.  
He was really good at reading people, and he knew that Kay was hurting inside and hurting badly. She was desperately lonely, but at the same time determined not to let anyone in. She was slowly killing herself .  
  
With a sudden determination Jack resolved to break down the walls Kay had built about herself. He couldn't stand to see her hurting so much. She and Will came up on deck then, and Jack wondered idly what was making him so determined to help a girl he had known for only a day. No, not a day, he thought. I met her this morning, but I've known her for years, he realized, as Will came up to stand next to him. Then she looked up at him, standing in almost perfect mimicry of how she had stood when he had first seen her. He realized then, with even more shock, that he had, that long time ago, quite fallen for the girl.  
  
Kay: Will was standing next to Jack at the helm, and Kay was reminded sharply of the first time she had seen Jack, standing at the helm of a ship with his friend. Kay highly suspected now that the man had been Will's father.  
Looking up at Jack now, her heart gave a lurch which she suppressed quickly. She couldn't care for him. The people she cared for just got hurt, and in turn that hurt her. She honestly didn't think she could survive if she let that happen again. So she looked down and climbed the stairs quickly.  
"Are we going to be there soon?" she asked.  
Jack nodded, "Another hour or two. We should be there by sundown." Kay nodded, then walked over to the railing to stare out at the sea. The sun beat down on the water, turning it a sparkling, crystal blue, and warming everything it touched. But the beauty was lost on Kay, too miserable to enjoy it. And the sun could not seem to warm some inner part of her that longed for warmth, but was too scared to venture out for it.  
  
Okay. Again, I'm sorry this was so short. I will try to update again tomorrow. 


	5. Amanda Bell

Hi. I'm back again. (grins) Sorry to keep you waiting. My computer went screwy yesterday, so I couldn't type anything.  
  
Disclaimer: See other chapters, I refuse to type it again. It's too sad. Lawyer: say it Me: Don't make me wake my dragon. Lawyer: (gulps and backs away) Me: On with the story!  
  
Chapter 5: Amanda Bell  
  
By the time they reached Tortuga and dropped anchor Kay had gone back to her usual self, the shock of time jumping having worn off. She kept her emotions locked away, and herself separated from the rest of the world.  
They rowed to shore and Jack walked them through town. Kay wasn't listening to what he was saying, and didn't realize that he had asked her a question until Will nudged her in the ribs.  
"What? Sorry?"  
"I asked what ye think luv," Jack said gesturing around. Kay took note of her surroundings for the first time.  
"Uh, it's interesting," she said without enthusiasm.  
"If every town in the world were like Tortuga then no man would feel unwanted," Jack continued, not noticing either Kay's or Will's lack of enthusiasm. He was approached by a red-haired woman in a red dress. "Scarlet!" he said happily. She slapped him, then walked off. "I don't think I deserved that," Jack muttered. Another woman, a blonde this time, came up to them. "Giselle," Jack greeted her.  
"Oo was she?" Giselle asked.  
"What?" Jack's query was greeted by another slap. "I may have deserved that," he muttered. Kay smiled in spite of herself.  
Jack led them to a shed, where they found a man sleeping with two pigs. Jack threw a bucket of water on him.  
"Curse ya fer breathin ya slack-jawed idiot!" snapped the man as he jumped up. Then he spotted Jack. "Mother's love. Jack. Ye should know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin. S'bad luck."  
"Ah. Fortunately I know how to counter it," said Jack. "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink, and the man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."  
"Ah, that'll about do it," said the man. As Jack pulled him to his feet, Kay saw Will grab up another bucket of water, then throw it at the man.  
"Blast I'm already awake!" he yelled at Will.  
"That was for the smell," Will responded. Kay thought he had a fair point. The shed didn't exactly smell like a bed of roses.  
"So, who're they?" the man asked as they stepped out of the shed, gesturing to Will and Kay.  
"That be Will, and this here is Kay," Jack said quickly. "Will, Kay, this is me friend Gibbs."  
Kay nodded in greeting, opening her mouth to say something, but she never got a word out as a shriek split the night air, and a woman came running over to them. At first Kay thought this was someone else who had the intention of slapping Jack, but to her surprise the woman seized her by the arm in a vice-like grip.  
"How dare you, young lady! How dare you!" the woman shrieked. Kay was too stunned to move. "We have looked everywhere for you Amanda! Do you know what you have cost this family? Do you?" the woman grabbed Kay by the shoulders and shook her hard. She was in a towering rage.  
Kay found her voice. "My name isn't Amanda, it's Kay!" she yelled above the woman's ranting. She received a slap in answer.  
"Don't you lie to me young lady!" She raised her hand to strike Kay again, but Jack seized her hand before she could do anything.  
"This young lady is telling the truth. She be my cousin," he lied to the angry woman. Just then a well-dressed man walked over to them. He starred at Kay intently, his expression hard. "If ye could tell yer wife to release my cousin I'd most appreciate it," Jack said in a low but deadly voice.  
The man ignored him and starred at Kay as though trying to see through her. Then he turned to the woman. "This is not Amanda, Lilly," he said.  
"Of course she is Charles! Do you have no eyes?" snarled Lilly.  
"She looks a great deal like Amanda, I agree, but this is not her." He finally looked over at Jack and Will, both armed, both with hands on their weapons. "Let her go. We'll look elsewhere." The seething Lilly finally released Kay, and stormed off with her husband, leaving a shaking, very confused Kay behind them.  
"Are you alright?" Jack asked Kay.  
She nodded. "Who were they?" Jack shook his head, he had no idea.  
"Well-to-do family, live on an island half a day from here," Gibbs answered. They all turned to look at him.  
"What do they have to do with me?" Kay asked.  
"Well ye see," began Gibbs. "'Bout a year ago they made plans to marry their daughter off to some rich noble. They wanted more wealth and power and figured they could get it by marrying the girl off to someone of a higher class than they were. Only, the girl was having none of it and ran here. Strange thing is, shortly after she got here, she disappeared. Same day as her parents got here looking for her. Some captain claims she was talking to him, asking for passage, he turns around to call for a drink, turns back to the girl and she's gone. Just like that. Just disappears from an empty bar. No one's seen her since." He finished.  
Jack noticed that Kay was white as a sheet. She took a shaky breath, then asked in a voice that sounded on the edge of cracking, "What was the girl's full name?"  
"Her name was Amanda Bell. Why?" asked Gibbs.  
If it was possible, Kay had just gone paler and answered in a whisper. "Amanda Bell was my mother's maiden name." Will gave her a startled look.  
Kay stared down the street after the retreating pair, now lost to sight. Then she caught sight of someone across the street who was staring intently at her from underneath the hood of a cloak. Everyone else of the street had gone about their business except this woman. But before Kay could move Jack seized her by the shoulder and steered her into a bar.  
He left her standing with Will and walked over to the bartender to order drinks while Gibbs grabbed a table. Jack walked back over with three mugs in his hands. He handed one to Kay.  
"Drink this," he told her. "It'll help your nerves." Kay obediently took a sip. It burned like fire as she swallowed, but as promised it calmed her down a little. She took another sip. Jack turned to Will. "Keep a sharp eye," he told him. Then he walked to join Gibbs at a table not too far away.  
Kay was thinking about the confrontation with the Bells. Was their daughter Amanda possibly her mother? She had come back in time, was it so impossible that her mother had gone forward in time? It was too much for Kay to take in right then so she took another sip of what she now knew to be rum, and tried to listen in on Jack and Gibbs's conversation. She heard Jack mutter something about leverage. Then Gibbs asked "The kid?" Kay figured that Will was the said leverage.  
"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child," Jack responded, so low she barely heard him.  
She glanced to the side at Will, who was trying to discourage some whore who was flirting with him. They both started at a loud noise like a cannon that came from outside. Will suddenly drew his sword and kicked over a table. Everything in the bar stopped and everyone turned to stare at him.  
  
"Kid's a bit of a stick, in'e?" she heard Gibbs ask quietly.  
"You have no idea," Jack muttered. As suddenly as everything had stopped, it started back up again. Will, looking incredibly embarrassed, sheathed his sword and muttered something that sounded like an apology.  
Gibbs left then, saying he would see them tomorrow. Jack went to talk to the owner, and came back a few minutes later.  
"I got us rooms for the night," he said. Kay finished her rum and put the mug down on a table nearby. She and Will followed Jack to a hallway behind the bar. "These are ours," Jack said. He pointed Will to the first one, and Kay to the second one. He took the one on the other side of Kay's.  
  
Kay said goodnight and went in. The room was nothing great, if anything it was rather dirty. But it had a bed and that's all that Kay was looking for. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
~*~  
Kay woke up the next morning with her stomach in knots. She thought back and realized that the last thing she had to eat was lunch, two days ago. No wonder her stomach was knotted up. Yawning, Kay wandered out to the bar. As she passed Will's room, he opened the door.  
"You're awake already?" he asked, incredulous.  
"I had to get up early for my job so I'm used to waking up early," she responded. "I'm hungry. I was gonna get some breakfast."  
"I'm hungry too, now that you mention it," Will said. They went out to the bar together to order some food. They were eating when Jack joined them and ordered some food for himself. When they were finished Jack went to pay the owner. Kay decided to wait outside. She had no sooner stepped out the door than she was approached by a small boy.  
"Excuse me miss. Are you Kay Joans?" he asked Kay.  
"Yes, I am," said Kay, startled that the boy knew her name.  
The boy held out a small package. "I was told to give this to Kay Joans," he said. Kay took the package slowly.  
"Who told you to give it to me?" she asked.  
The boy shrugged. "A lady."  
"Did she tell you her name?"  
"No maam."  
"What did she look like?"  
The boy thought for a minute. "She had a cloak and hood on," he said. "But she had green eyes," he said helpfully. Kay thanked him and he left.  
She looked down at the package in her hands. It was wrapped in some kind of oilcloth. Kay was about to open it when someone hailed her from the street. She looked up. It was Gibbs.  
"Hey," she greeted. Jack and Will came out of the bar.  
"Mornin Gibbs," called Jack. They all walked for the docks. Jack looked down at the package that Kay carried. "What's that?" he asked.  
Kay shrugged. "A boy gave it to me when I left the bar. He said a lady had told him to give it to me."  
"Maybe it's from that woman you met last night," suggested Jack.  
Kay shook her head. "No, that woman had blue eyes. I asked the boy and he said the lady who gave this to him had green." They reached the docks then, and further conversation was halted. Kay slipped the package into her pocket, which closed with a small buckle.  
There were about twenty to twenty-five men standing there, waiting to be inspected.  
"Here ye are captain," said Gibbs. "Every man here worth his salt. And crazy to boot."  
"This is your able bodied crew?" asked Will scathingly.  
Jack walked over to one man who had a parrot on his shoulder. "You sir. What's your name?"  
"Cotton sir," supplied Gibbs.  
"Mr. Cotton," said Jack. "Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr. Cotton! Answer me."  
"He's a mute sir," said Gibbs. "Bloody man had his tongue cut out." Cotton opened his mouth and Jack cringed. "So he trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how."  
Jack tried again. "Mr. Cotton's parrot. Same question."  
The parrot squawked. "Wind in yer sails, wind in yer sails."  
"Mostly we figure that means yes," Gibbs said helpfully.  
"Of course it does," said Jack brightly. "Satisfied?" he asked Will.  
"Well you've proved they're mad," said Will.  
"And what's the benefit for us?" called someone. Jack, Will, and Kay walked down the docks to stand in front of a person wearing a tri-cornered hat. Jack pulled the hat off, revealing the face of a dark-skinned woman.  
"Anna-Maria," greeted Jack. She slapped him, hard.  
"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" asked Will.  
"No that one I deserved," Jack said. He turned back to Anna-Maria.  
"You stole my boat," she snarled.  
"Actually-" started Jack. He was interrupted when she slapped him again. "Borrowed," he said. "Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back to you."  
"But you didn't," she shrieked. She raised her hand again.  
"You'll get another one," pleaded Jack, not wanting to get struck again.  
"A better one," said Will, jumping in.  
"A better one," echoed Jack.  
"That one," said Will and Kay simultaneously, both pointing to the Interceptor.  
"What one?" asked Jack, spinning to face them. "That one?!" he said in disbelief, looking at them both like they were crazy. Then he saw Anna- Maria's angry expression and the expectant faces of everyone else. "Aye," he agreed reluctantly. "That one. What say you?"  
There was a chorus of "Ayes," and everyone rushed to a boat.  
"No, no sir. It's bad luck to bring one woman on board, let alone two," said Gibbs stepping up to Jack. Kay bristled.  
"It'd be far worse not to however," Jack replied. He grabbed Kay's arm and pulled her to a rowboat. Will and Gibbs followed them in and they rowed back to the Interceptor.  
  
Okay hope you enjoyed this chapter. School starts tomorrow (cries) so I'll try to update once a week. But this is the time of year that the teachers seem to feel that they need to stuff work down their student's throats, so I can't promise anything. (sigh) Um, I'm still open for suggestion on what to do to the lawyer. I have had no suggestions yet... 


	6. Storms on Several Fronts

Okay! I finally got a few lawyer suggestions! One said I should ask my dragon. Dragon: Can I eat him? Me: No, you'll get indigestion. Okay, someone else said I should through him in a tank with sharks. I like that, I'll go get a crane. Hmmm. Might have to buy the sharks off e-bay... Lawyer: mmff. Me: I have you tied and gagged, and you're still bugging me about disclaimers? Lawyer: (glares) Disclaimer: See first 4 chapters. Dragon: E-bay has a good deal on sharks. Me: Okay. You all occupy yourselves by reading the next chapter while me and me dragon buy the stuff to torture the lawyer for your entertainment.  
  
Chapter 6: Storms on Several Fronts  
To say that the first few hours after they sailed from Tortuga were busy would be a vast understatement. Kay was completely lost. Everyone seemed to know exactly where to go and what to do without being told, but she had no idea. Will spotted her standing near the rail looking increasingly out of place and uncomfortable. So he called her over to teach her how to work the sails.  
A few hours out they were hit by a storm. Kay was kept so busy that the package she had received was driven clear from her mind. Within moments they were all soaked through. Everyone was working fanatically to steer the ship through the storm and keep it afloat. Kay was working with Will and Gibbs, periodically they would grab rope or rail as a wave washed over the deck.  
After a time Kay heard Will shout a question to Gibbs over the roar of the storm. "How can we find an island that doesn't exist with a compass that doesn't work?"  
"Aye, the compass doesn't point north. But we're not tryin to find north are we?" Gibbs called back. They kept working.  
A while after that Gibbs went up to the helm to talk to Jack. Kay followed, desperate for a break, clinging to the stair railing with a death- grip.  
"We need to drop sail," she heard Gibbs shout.  
"She can hold a bit longer," Jack responded.  
"What's in yer head that's put you in such a fine mood captain?"  
"We're catching up."  
Kay went back down to the deck. The storm lasted for another few hours, then died down. Kay was so exhausted she could hardly stand up straight. She was glad that foresight had made her put on her black tube- top because her white shirt had become all but invisible in all the rain.  
Hardly able to see straight, Kay stumbled to her cabin, and fell into the bed in a heap. She was asleep before she actually hit the bed.  
She awoke a few hours later feeling refreshed, as dawn was peeking over the horizon. She changed her shirt again, opting for another white one, with sleeves that came just past her elbows. She brushed out her hair, then braided it loosely before tying on her black bandanna.  
She walked back out on deck and Will greeted her with a smile. She smiled briefly in return, joining him in lounging by the rail.  
"What're we doing?" she asked him.  
He shrugged. "Waiting."  
Gibbs came over to join them. Kay caught sight of a mast peeking up out of the water. Frowning she leaned over the rail and saw many other similar sights. They were sailing into a ship graveyard. Slightly awed, Kay stared through the morning mist.  
"Puts a chill in the bones seein how many honest sailors been claimed by this passage," Gibbs said quietly.  
Kay turned and looked up to the helm, where Jack still stood, studying the compass in his hand. Belatedly Kay wondered if he had moved at all since the day before. Will followed her gaze.  
"How did Jack come by that compass?" he asked.  
"Not much is known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isle de Muerta," said Gibbs, taking a sip from his flask. "That was back before I met him. Back when he was captain of the Black Pearl."  
"What?" Will whipped around. Gibbs choked. "He failed to mention that," Will muttered.  
"Well he plays things close to the vest now, and a hard learned lesson it was," Gibbs said, deciding to tell the story. "Ye see, three days out in the venture the first mate comes and says if everything is an equal share, that should mean the location of the treasure too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with hate." A memory sparked in Kay's mind. Standing on a small island and seeing Jack sitting by a small campfire, drinking, grief and anger on his face. She shook off the memory to hear Will speak.  
"So that's the reason for all the..." he did a short drunken impression.  
  
"Reason ain't got nothin to do with it." Gibbs knelt down and motioned for Kay and Will to do the same. "You see, when a pirate's marooned he's given a pistol with a single shot. Well that won't do no good for huntin nor to be rescued, but after three weeks of starvin belly and thirst that pistol starts to look real friendly. But Jack escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh but he won't use it, save on one person. His mutinous first mate."  
"Barbossa," proclaimed Will, putting it together. Gibbs nodded.  
"How did Jack get off the island?" Kay asked  
"Well ye see, he waded out into the shallows and waited there tree days and three nights until all manners of sea creatures came acclimatin into his presence. Then he lashed himself a couple of sea turtles and made a raft," proclaimed Gibbs.  
"Sea turtles," said Kay in a dry voice. That was a load of BS if she ever heard one.  
"What did he use for rope?" asked Will, extremely skeptical.  
Gibbs looked stumped for a moment, then he looked up at a point over Will's shoulder. Kay turned to see Jack standing there.  
"Human hair," Jack answered Will's question. "From my back." Gibbs was nodding, looking satisfied. Kay stood and shook her head. Gibbs was a good guy, but he needed to be a little less gullible.  
"Kay, the kid, and I are going to shore," Jack said. Kay was startled. Why was she going? She wasn't going to complain though, it was better than being left on the ship.  
Gibbs walked over to Jack. "What should we do if the worst is to happen?" he asked.  
"Keep to the code," Jack told him. Will shot Kay a confused look. She gave him an "I'll explain later" look.  
The three of them climbed into the rowboat, which was lowered into the calm waters. They rowed in silence for a while until Kay finally asked, "Why are you taking me along?"  
"It was part of our agreement, luv, remember?" Jack asked. Kay frowned. "I was to take you with me. I can't do that and hold up our agreement by leaving ye on the ship, now can I?"  
Kay sighed. "No, I guess you can't." But the answer he gave didn't feel right to her. Her end of the deal had been to get Jack out of jail, but Will had done that, so Jack's deal with her was null and void. But he had still brought her with him, and was now refusing to leave her on the ship. To her it seemed that he was making excuses to keep her near him. That scared her. He couldn't get attached to her! He'd wind up getting hurt. Not only that but Kay was finding it harder and harder to ignore her feelings for him. The walls that she had spent years reinforcing were beginning to crack, despite her desperate efforts to shore them up. She needed to distance herself from him but he was making it impossible to do so. She wrapped her arms around herself, glad that Jack had his back to her as she tried, and failed, to control her emotions.  
They sailed into a cave after a bit, Will holding a lantern so they would see where they were going. Kay almost wished they were sailing in the dark, for the cavern was littered with skeletons.  
"What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" Will asked, after a while of silence.  
"Pirates code," answered Jack. "Any man-"  
"-who falls behind is left behind," finished Kay, still staring at the skeletons. The other two turned to look at her, surprised.  
"She's right," said Jack, shrugging.  
"No heroes among thieves," Will muttered.  
"You know for a man with such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one yourself," Jack told him. "You sprang a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, and you're completely obsessed with treasure," he said, watching as Will gazed, fascinated, at the gold littering the floor under the water. Will quickly looked away and responded angrily as they got out of the boat.  
"That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure,"  
"Not all treasure is silver and gold mate," Jack responded. Will saw him glance at Kay out of the corner of his eye. Surprised, he turned to look at the girl, then heard someone speak above the rise of voices in the cavern and turned to look over the pile of gold they were standing next to. Barbossa was speaking to the assembled pirates, standing behind a stone chest with a terrified Elizabeth next to him. (Too lazy to type out his speech. I'm sure none of you mind.) He placed the gold medallion in Elizabeth's palm, and brought up his knife. Will tried to scramble over the pile of gold to get to her, but Jack pulled him back with a command of "Not yet! You wait for the opportune moment." Kay watched as Barbossa cut Elizabeth's palm, then dropped the medallion into the chest, while listening to Will's scathing response.  
"When's that? When it's of most profit to you?" Kay turned and followed them off a ways. Jack suddenly turned to face Will.  
"Let me ask you something. Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" he asked, then almost pleaded. "Do us a favor. I know it's difficult for you, but, stay here, and try not to do anything... stupid" He turned to Kay, who was clutching her arms, her face so expressionless that he knew inside she was wrestling a storm of emotions. Will followed his gaze, then heard Jack whisper, "And watch out for the girl, will you? Don't let her get herself into trouble." Then he walked off.  
Will teetered, wanting to follow but wanting to do as asked and watch Kay. He glanced at her and he too, could see past the emotionless mask that she wore. She's not going anywhere, he decided. He picked up an oar and went after Jack.  
Kay didn't notice. When she finally managed to get her emotions subdued, she looked up and saw that both men were gone. Surprised, and slightly panicky, she set off up the passageway. She was met by Will, who had Elizabeth in tow. Will grabbed Kay's upper arm and pulled her along.  
"Where's Jack?" Kay hissed. Will didn't answer. "Where is he?' Kay asked again, voice getting slightly shrill. She tugged out of Will's grip, but before she could turn back for the passage, he let go of Elizabeth and seized her from behind, wrapping an arm around her chest.  
"Jack told me to look after you," he pleaded. "We need to go!" She didn't make it easier for him, continuing to struggle against his grip. A very confused Elizabeth was watching the scene.  
"Then go. I'm falling behind," Kay hissed. "So leave me behind! But I'm not leaving him!" she rammed an elbow into Will's chest. He gasped, and Kay managed to pull out of his loosened grip and pelt back up the passage. She ignored Will, who was shouting after her swiftly retreating form.  
  
Will: Will snuck up behind Jack and whacked him over the back of the head with the oar he carried. He dropped the oar next to Jack and told his still form "I'm sorry Jack, but I'm not going to be your leverage."  
He slipped quietly around treasure piles, then lowered himself into the water. He swam over to where Elizabeth was lying in a crumpled heap and placed a hand over her mouth, waking her. She took a fearful look around, then slipped into the water after him, grabbing something from the ground next to her as she followed him.  
Will pulled her along, away from the frantically searching pirates, and back into the passage he had come from. He was startled when he met Kay at the start of the tunnel.  
"Where's Jack?" she hissed. His insides gave a guilty squirm. He grabbed her arm with his free hand and pulled her along behind him, not answering her question. She started to struggle. "Where is he?" she demanded. They were almost at the boat when she managed to tug out of his hand. He released Elizabeth to grab Kay around the chest.  
"Jack told me to look after you," he pleaded. Will had grown to think of Kay as a friend over the past few days. He didn't want to see her get hurt. And he felt guilty about leaving Jack, the least he could do was watch out for Kay for him. "We need to go," he continued to plead.  
"Then go," Kay hissed, her voice deadly. "I'm falling behind, so leave me behind! But I'm not leaving him!" She rammed her elbow into his chest, and Will gasped, fighting for air. His hold on her weakened and she pulled away, sprinting up the passage. Will called after her frantically, but she ignored him. Will was torn, he needed to get himself and Elizabeth out of there, but he wanted desperately to go after Kay.  
Agonized, he grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her into a boat. He wouldn't do Kay any good if got himself and Elizabeth killed.  
  
Kay: Kay sprinted up the passage. She had to find Jack. If he got hurt it would be her fault, because she was growing to like him so much. Those she loved got hurt. She hoped Will would listen to sense and leave.  
She skidded around a corner and saw Jack, standing rather drunkenly to the side. She stopped nest to him, and found herself face to face with the barrel of a pistol. Wide eyed, Kay whirled to run back the way she had come, but found several more pirates blocking her path. Panicked, Kay wished that she had stayed with Will. She didn't want to die. Jack put a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around.  
"Purley," Jack said. Everyone looked at him. He started muttering under his breath. "Parsnip, parsley, par..."  
Kay realized what he was trying to say. "Parley!" she called in a shrill voice.  
"Ah, that's the one! Parley!" said Jack happily. He gave Kay's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  
The pirate in front of her looked disappointed and angry. "Parley?" he whined. "Damn it to the depths with whatever muttenhead thought up parley."  
Jack pushed his gun down. "That would be the French. Inventors of mayonnaise you know."  
"I like mayonnaise," said the pirate.  
"Shame about the French really," continued Jack. "Eunuchs, all of them." Kay laughed shakily.  
The pirates, keeping their guns out, marched Jack and Kay out into the larger part of the cave. They were quickly surrounded by every pirate there, and then Barbossa walked forward to confront them. He looked surprised and angry to see Jack.  
"How in blazes did you get off that island?" he snarled.  
"When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land you forgot one very important thing mate," Jack told him. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he said, as if that were a blindingly obvious answer.  
I see," said Barbossa. "Well I won't be making that mistake again. Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow." There was a chorus of affirmative sounds. "Kill him," said Barbossa coldly, turning away. Kay panicked.  
"The girls blood didn't work, did it?" called Jack calmly. Barbossa froze.  
"Hold your fire," he snarled angrily, turning back around. The pirates all lowered their guns, clearly upset at being told not to shoot.  
"You know whose blood I need," said Barbossa coldly.  
Jack smirked like a cat with a bowl of cream. "I know whose blood you need," he said.  
"Take them to the ship," Barbossa grumbled. Then he stalked off.  
Jack and Kay were "escorted" to the rowboats, and several pirates were sent to swim out and search for the oars which Will appeared to have taken. Kay silently cheered his smart thinking.  
"I thought I told that kid to look out for you," Jack muttered to her.  
"I don't need to be looked after," Kay responded. "Besides, it's kinda hard to keep a grip on someone desperately trying to get away when you get the wind knocked out of you."  
Jack looked down at Kay, surprised. "You fought off the kid to come back here? Why?"  
Kay was looking at the floor, but Jack could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "I couldn't just leave you here. If you had gotten hurt it would have been my fault," she whispered.  
"You couldn't have stopped Will, luv" Jack told her quietly.  
She shook her head. "No it's not that. It's me." And she refused to say anything more. Soon the pirates returned with a bunch of the oars. Jack and Kay were seated in one of the boats, and rowed out to the Pearl. During the ride Jack kept staring at Kay, wondering why she had come running back after him, and why she was so certain that it would have been her fault if he had been killed. He could tell that her emotions were agony, and he was determined to help her however he had to.  
It was ironic, he thought. He had become a pirate because he had no other love but the sea. He had been with more girls than he could remember, and cared for them no more than one-time acquaintances. Yet this girl shows up and within two days he had fallen so deeply in love with her he could no longer see the surface.  
  
Okay! I hope you liked this update. Sure took me long enough to write. I'm gonna try to write more this weekend. The last week in school was HELL! My teachers seemed to think that stuffing work up our noses was fine, so I had no time to write at all! So I'll try to do more this weekend, and if the workload is lighter this week I'll get in another segment before Friday. Dragon: the shark tank is here. Me: Yippie! I'll go set it up. Please review while I set up my lawyer torturing shark tank. (Evil grin) I like this suggestion. Thank you to the reviewer who made it! 


	7. Whichever Way I Turn

Woohoo! The shark tank is up! Yea to the wonder of express delivery! ^_^ And of course, thanks also to the helpful hands (er, claws) of my dragon in setting it up. Lawyer: (tied to crane) Let me down! Me: Are you gonna make me do the disclaimer? Lawyer: Yes!  
  
Me: Okay then, I'll let you down. (starts lowering crane into shark tank) Lawyer: Ahhhhh! Pull me up! Pull me up! Me: (taps foot) Lawyer: (inches from water and hungry sharks) Okay! Okay! You don't have to type a disclaimer! Me: Thank you. (stops crane) Lawyer: Aren't you going to pull me up? Me: If you're a good boy I'll consider it. Besides, my readers are enjoying watching you avoid the jumping sharks who want you for lunch. Anyway, on with the story!  
  
Chapter 7: Whichever Way I Turn  
Upon reaching the ship Kay and Jack were taken to the captain's cabin by Barbossa. Jack and Barbossa had exchanged masked "I wish you were dead's, then started bargaining. Kay knew that many lives, including her own, hung on the outcome of this bargain, but she also found that she was too emotionally dead to care. She simply sat on the sidelines, half- listening.  
"So, you plan to leave me standin on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need, watchin you sail away on my ship?" asked Barbossa disbelievingly.  
"No," said Jack. "I plan to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on MY ship, and I'll shout the name back to you." Kay sighed. This banter was likely to go on for a while.  
"That still leaves us with the problem of me standin on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need." Said Barbossa. Kay tried hard not the cringe.  
Jack picked an apple from the bowl in front of him before responding. "Of the two of us, I'm the one who hasn't committed mutiny, so it's my word we'll be trusting." He sat down and put his feet up on the table, to all appearances completely relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world. Kay idly wondered how he could be so calm. If she was feeling anything she thought it would be nervousness bordering on hysteria. Jack continued to speak. "Though you know I suppose I should be thanking you because if you hadn't abandoned me and left me to die, I'd have an equal curse same as you." He took a bite of the apple in his hand. "Funny old world, ain't it?"  
Barbossa grumbled something, then the door opened and one of the crewmembers walked in.  
"Captain, we're coming up on the Interceptor now." Barbossa got up, and his monkey leaped between Kay and Jack, who both jumped back away from it. Jack then hurried after Barbossa, Kay following more slowly, her legs moving rather listlessly.  
She squinted in the suddenly over-bright sunlight, and spotted the other ship in the distance. Her emotions came suddenly back to her, crashing over her like a tidal wave. The most prime being fear for her friends on the other ship. It was clear that the Pearl was going to catch up, and rather quickly. She hurried over to where Jack was, to hear Barbossa say, "ye see now Jack, that's the attitude that lost ye the Pearl. Men are easier to question when they're dead." He spotted Kay then. "Lock them up," he ordered. Strong hands grabbed Kay's arms, and she struggled to throw them off. Despite her best efforts she was dragged down below decks. She and Jack were tossed into a cell, water sloshing over the floor.  
"Apparently there's a leak," Jack commented. He didn't get a reply. The pirate simply turned and left. Kay hurried over to a small hole on the wall and put her eye to it. She couldn't see much and her view was restricted to what was directly ahead of her, but she saw a few barrels and crates bobbing in the water.  
"See anything luv?" asked Jack.  
Kay sighed. "Not really." She surrendered the little hole and walked to stand by the cell door. Jack peeked out the hole, but not seeing anything either turned to look at Kay, who was staring hard at the lock.  
"That door won't melt no matter how long ye stare at it luv," Jack told her, slightly amused. The amusement died when she turned to look at him. He eyes were no longer devoid of emotion, far from it. They were filled with the extremes of fear and desperation. Worried now, Jack steeped towards her. She took a half a step in his direction, then she seemed to realize what she was doing, and pressed herself back into the bars, face a mask of anguish before she managed to wrestle her expressionless mask back into place.  
"Ye can't keep hidin yer emotions away luv," Jack said, concerned, coming to stand right in front of her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "If ye keep bottling everything up inside yer just gonna kill yerself. Ye can't live so alone Kay." She was fighting to keep her mask in place, but it was slipping. Something banged near the top of the stairs, startling them both. That brought back Kay's fears all in an instant.  
"The others," she whispered, her voice panic stricken. "Will, Gibbs, the crew. If the Pearl catches up with them they're dead." The desperation was back in her voice. It was only because Jack was so close to her that he heard her whisper, "And it'll be all my fault. I got too close." The misery and self-blame in her voice sent chills up Jack's spine.  
"What happened to you?" he asked quietly. Kay turned to face him again, slightly startled.  
"What?"  
"What happened to you?" Jack repeated. "Why do you think it's your fault if the crew gets hurt?" Anguish pinched her features. Kay was being drowned by emotions and memories she thought that she had long ago locked away. "Back in the cave, why did you come back for me?" Jack asked then. Kay turned her face to the floor, tears overflowing her eyes. She didn't want to admit the answer to that question to herself, let alone to him. She tried to hide further behind her walls only to find that they were so cracked now, that holes had appeared, letting in light and warmth to where, for years now, there had been only the cold dark and misery. The filtered light was almost painful.  
Explosions sounded then, and there was a sudden increase of noise up on deck. Cursing, Jack turned to look out the knothole, then almost immediately grabbed Kay and brought them both to the floor. Some projectile blasted through where they had been standing seconds before.  
"Stop blowing holes in my ship!" he yelled angrily. Kay looked up and saw the door smoking a bit, the lock blown clear away.  
"Jack," Kay whispered, excited. He turned and she pointed eagerly at the door. He stood up, lifted her off the floor, and easily swung the door open. The two of them hurried up onto the deck. They went unnoticed because of all the turmoil. Kay saw that they were side to side with the Interceptor, and that Barbossa's crew was swinging over to the other ship, where the crew was putting up a gallant fight. Someone tried to swing over, was pushed back screaming and fell into the water. Jack grabbed the rope.  
"Thanks very much," he called. Kay stepped up to his side. He put an arm around her waist, and she held one hand on his shoulder the other on the rope. They swung across, kicking on of Barbossa's pirates in the head, then swinging back to where they had started before finally swinging to land on the ship. Jack ran to help Elizabeth, when Kay suddenly realized that she had no weapons with her. She dashed through the fighting pirates and made it to her cabin, which was blessedly empty. After a quick look around she realized that she had no weapons in here either, and also realized that the deck was starting to tilt. They were sinking. Kay grabbed up her bag and ran back out to join the fight. Elizabeth was dashing across the deck and struggling to shift the mast, which had fallen on top of the access to the lower level. Kay saw with a start that Will was trapped down there and struggled to help Elizabeth.  
"Kay!" Will cried out, surprised.  
"Miss me?" Kay managed to gasp out.  
"We can't move it!" cried Elizabeth desperately. They were both seized from behind suddenly, and they shrieked, trying to throw off the hands that held them, but Kay had no better luck than the last time. They were both dragged back onto the Pearl, along with the rest of the crew, who had all been captured by this time. They were all being tied to the mast, all but Kay who was lashing out at whoever came near with hands when she could get them free, feet she aimed with deadly accuracy, and teeth that she tried to sink into whoever brought a hand close enough to her face. With most everyone watching Kay, Elizabeth slipped out of the ropes tying her and the crew to the mast and started running for the side of the ship. She and Kay stopped moving when the explosion ripped through the Interceptor. Shock held them paralyzed for a brief instant, then Elizabeth flew at Barbossa with a shriek. He turned and roughly grabbed her arms.  
"I see ye've returned to us. Ye took advantage of out hospitality last time, so it's time ye returned the favor." Barbossa said in a sickeningly smug voice. He threw Elizabeth into a group of pirates. She started shrieking.  
"Barbossa!" called someone from the side of the deck. Everyone snapped their heads around. There stood Will, dripping wet, with a pistol pointed at Barbossa's head. "She goes free." He demanded, pointing at Elizabeth.  
"Don't do anything stupid," pleaded Jack. He sounded desperate.  
"What's in yer head boy?" asked Barbossa. "You've only got one shot, and we can't die." He added the last seemingly as an afterthought.  
Will suddenly looked uncertain, then determination sparked in his eyes. He jumped onto the side of the ship, holding a rope and leaning out over the edge, then pointing the pistol at his own head. "You can't. I can." He declared.  
"Like that," Jack muttered, so low that Kay, standing a few feet away from him, barely heard him.  
"Who are you?" asked Barbossa.  
Jack jumped forward. "No one, he's no one," he interjected quickly. "Distant cousin of my aunt's second nephew, twice removed. Lovely singing voice though. Eunuch," he added in an undertone.  
"My name's Will Turner," Will declared. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner."  
"He's the spitten image of ol' Bootstrap come back ta haunt us!" declared one of the pirates suddenly.  
"On my word do as I say or I'll pull the trigger and be lost to Davie Jones's Locker," Will snapped.  
"Name yer terms," Barbossa said.  
"Elizabeth goes free," Will repeated.  
"Yes we know that one. Anything else?" Barbossa asked scathingly.  
Will paused. "Kay goes free as well. And the crew are not to be harmed."  
"Agreed," Barbossa said. Will stepped down and surrendered the pistol. The crew was untied from the mast. Kay stepped close to Gibbs and passed him her bag when no one was looking, imploring him to watch it for her. He promised to just as he and the crew were taken down to the brig, but Elizabeth, Kay, Jack, and Will were kept up on the deck. Kay wondered why they were waiting, what they were waiting for. She didn't wonder for long. After a while a small island came into sight. She saw a spark in Jack's eyes, recognition and fear.  
"Bring them to the plank," Barbossa called suddenly. Kay suddenly realized the cause for the fear in Jack's eyes. Barbossa was letting them go all right, on a deserted island where they couldn't escape. Elizabeth was pushed out onto the plank.  
"Barbossa you lying bastard!" screamed Will. "You swore they'd go free!"  
"Don't dare impugn me honor boy. I swore they'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where." Barbossa said gleefully. He turned to Elizabeth. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine. So I'll be having that dress back," he told her.  
Angrily she stepped out of it and all but threw it at him.  
"It goes with your black heart," she snarled.  
"Oh it's still warm," Barbossa said gleefully, tossing the dress to his crewmembers.  
Elizabeth stopped at the end of the plank and turned to look at Will. One of the pirates called out "too long." He stamped the plank sending Elizabeth off balance and plunging into the water below. Jack was pushed up next.  
"I really had rather hoped we were past all this," he said desperately.  
"Jack, Jack," said Barbossa in a friendly manner. "Did you notice? That be the same little island we made you governor of on our last little trip."  
"I did notice," said Jack miserably.  
"Maybe you'll be able to pull off another miraculous escape attempt. But I doubt it." Jack was shoved onto the plank.  
"Last time you left me a pistol with one shot," he said desperately.  
"By the powers your right," said Barbossa. "Where be Jack's pistol?" It was brought over and given to Barbossa.  
"Seeing as there's three of us a gentleman would give us three pistols," Jack tried.  
Barbossa laughed. "Whoever said three of you?"  
Jack looked confused. "You agreed Kay goes free as well," he said cautiously.  
"Aye. I agreed she'd go free, but once again the kid failed to specify when or where. Don't worry, I'll be letting her go. As soon as we're done with her," he added with an evil grin. "Now, it'll be one pistol as before, and you can be the gentleman and shoot the lady and starve to death yerself," he finished, and pitched the pistol over the side of the ship. With a last, desperate look back at Kay Jack dove over the side after it. Will was furiously trying to protest around the gag in his mouth.  
Barbossa turned to Kay, smirking. He gestured to two of his men, who grabbed her by the arms, and they started to sail away.  
  
Will: Will saw Kay gaze back at the island with a longing desperation, then watched in amazement as her expression changed completely. Her body tensed, and he knew she was going to break for it. She looked as if she had nothing to lose, as if whatever happened as a consequence to her actions couldn't possibly be worse than what would happen if she stayed and did nothing. Will agreed with that feeling.  
She plunged forward suddenly, dragging her two surprised captors with her, they having been completely unprepared for this sudden, violent change in her attitude. Baring her teeth, she bucked suddenly, throwing the two off her completely. She bolted then, running across the deck, followed by most of the crew. Some managed to block her path, so she turned, quick as a cat, and sprinted up to the helm where there was only Barbossa and his first mate. The first mate dove for her, but Kay easily avoided his outstretched arms. Before anyone else could act she sprang, diving neatly over the railing of the ship. Will wished her luck.  
  
Kay: Kay preformed a perfect swan dive over the railing, blessing the years she had spent on the swim and diving teams in college. She had been one of the best swimmers. She surfaced, glanced around for the island for direction, and started to swim, thankful that she had been wearing sandals when she came back and not her sneakers. She could swim in sandals.  
Kay heard splashes behind her, and inside she grinned. They could never catch her. She swam faster, imagining herself back in swim competitions, easily outdistancing her opponents. After a while she turned back, seeing the few pirates far behind her and swimming back to the ship, giving up the chase. Grinning triumphantly, Kay continued to swim for the island.  
When she felt sand beneath her fingers she stood up and walked the rest of the way to shore, soaked but satisfied. She saw Elizabeth and Jack waiting for her, and Jack wore an expression of intense relief. He walked over and gripped her by the shoulder.  
"You alright?"  
"Yea, I'm fine," Kay told him. Then she forced herself to grin. "Told you I could swim."  
Jack chuckled and they walked over to where Elizabeth was standing. They turned to stare after the retreating Pearl. Jack's expression suddenly hardened.  
"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."  
  
I hope you all enjoyed this. I have to type a research paper now, (groan). Anyway thanks to everyone who had reviewed, you inspire me to keep writing! I'll post more soon. 


	8. Drowning

Wow I finally have a few spare minutes to type a new chapie. My life was insane for a while. Last week my school put on its annual art show, so I was there till 5:00 every day, and at the show on Thursday I was there till 8:30. Then Saturday was my birthday party, so Friday I was cleaning, and I was sick. So this is the first chance I've had to write in a while. So please forgive me for the lateness of my update. I'll give birthday cake to all of you who review.  
  
Lawyer: Disclaimer. Me: Sharkfood. Lawyer: (gulp) nevermind. Me: That's what I thought.  
  
Chapter 8: Drowning  
  
The three stayed still for a while, staring after the departing ship. Finally Elizabeth turned with a sigh and began to walk down the beach. Jack moved away from the water's edge and sat down. Then he started to take apart the pistol he had retrieved.  
"It needs to dry or it won't work," he said to the island in general, for Kay wasn't really listening. He looked up at Kay. "Come sit luv," he said.  
Kay hesitated. Her instinct was to stay away, she couldn't get too close. Then with a sigh she gave up and went to sit next to him. They three were going to die anyway on this island, what did it matter now if she got close or not. Besides the island wasn't very big she argued with herself. She couldn't get very far. The point was made not long after when Elizabeth came trudging along the beach to find the footprints she had made when she had started walking.  
"Not very big, is it?" Jack asked rhetorically, putting his pistol back together.  
"If you're going to shoot me please do so without delay," she snapped. Kay glanced up in mild interest. Elizabeth's mouth was compressed into a thin line.  
"Is there a problem between us?" Jack asked.  
"You were going to trade Will for a ship!" Elizabeth snapped, eyes flashing.  
"We could use a ship," Jack pointed out. "The fact is I wasn't going to tell Barbossa about bloody Will in exchange for a ship because as long as Barbossa didn't know about bloddy Will I had something to bargain with, which now no one has. Thanks to bloody stupid Will!" Jack added in a sour voice.  
"Oh," muttered Elizabeth. "Well he still risked his life to save ours!"  
"Ha!" Jack stood up and walked off. Elizabeth followed, and Kay trailed behind, forgotten for the moment, which was perfectly alright with her.  
"But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then," Elizabeth was shouting.  
"To what point and purpose young missy?" asked Jack, exasperated. "The Black Pearl is gone. Unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice," he sighed. "Unlikely. Young mister Turner will be dead long before you can reach him," he finished in resignation.  
"We have to do something," Elizabeth insisted.  
"Off you go then, let me know how that turns out," Jack said, irritated.  
"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth continued to protest. "You disappeared from under the eyes of seven members of the royal navy, you sacked Nassu Port without ever firing a shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not?" She moved to stand in front of him. "How did you escape last time?"  
Jack sighed, then moved Elizabeth out of his way. "Last time I was here a grand total of three days, alright?" He bent over and lifted a trapdoor. "Last time I was here the rum runners who used this island as a cache came by and I was able to barter passage off." He jumped down into the cellar. "From the looks of things here, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norington to thank for that," he said, emerging from the cellar with three bottles of rum.  
"So that's it then?" asked Elizabeth in a cracking voice. "That's the secret, grand adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum?"  
Welcome to the Caribbean luv," Jack said and handed her a bottle. He passed one to Kay as he passed her on his way to the beach. Kay watched him go, then turned her attention to the bottle in her hands.  
"I can't believe him!" Elizabeth cried. "He won't even try!"  
"What do you suggest that we try to do?" Kay asked her quietly. Elizabeth turned to her, desperation in her face. Kay felt her heart go out to the girl in spite of herself. She, more than anyone knew the pain of heartbreak and helplessness. She wrapped her arms around her chest, clutching the bottle to her.  
"What happened to you?" Elizabeth asked her quietly, shocked at the absolute misery behind Kay's eyes.  
Kay looked up in surprise. She snorted, trying to make light of the situation and failing. "You're the second person to ask me that today," she said quietly, and glanced back at the beach at Jack. Elizabeth followed her glance, a little startled. Before she could say anything Kay started walking back. Elizabeth followed, walking until the water swirled around her ankles before turning around.  
"Are there any truth in those other stories," she asked Jack.  
"Truth?" asked Jack. He pulled his sleeve above his right wrist, revealing the brand and tattoo that Kay already knew were there. Then he pulled up his left sleeve, revealing crisscrossing scars that ran up his arm. Then he pulled his shirt down, revealing several bullet scars. "No truth at all," he said bitterly. Kay stood staring at him, mutely stunned into silence. She realized that she wasn't the only one with a painful past. The realization was rather stunning.  
"We have to do something," Elizabeth said again, but this time she sounded defeated.  
"You're right," Jack said. He raised his bottle. "Here's luck to you Will Turner."  
With a defeated air Elizabeth walked up and sat on Jack's other side. She opened her bottle and took a sip, shivering as the liquid burned her throat.  
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho," she muttered.  
Jack turned to look at her, surprised. "What was that?" he asked.  
"Nothing," Elizabeth replied. "Just a song I learned when I was a child, when I actually thought it would be exciting to meet a pirate."  
"Let's hear it," Jack said.  
"No," said Elizabeth.  
"We've got the time," Jack pointed out. "Let's have it."  
Elizabeth twirled the bottle in her hands, thinking. Then she turned to Jack. "I'm going to have to have a lot more to drink."  
Jack took that as a challenge. "How much more?"  
Kay stopped paying attention. Those two, or Jack at least, were going to get themselves drunk. That was all she needed to know, because that was what she herself was planning to do herself. There had been a time or two other than this when her emotions got out her control. Those times she had resorted to alcohol to blur her edges and to dull the sharpness of the emotions and memories. It had worked then. She hoped it would now. Kay tugged the cork out of her bottle and took a swig. If she couldn't bar off her emotions she would drown them. She would drown out the memories.  
  
Elizabeth: It was now well after nightfall. Elizabeth and Jack were dancing around the fire singing, (rather off key) the pirate song that Elizabeth had started earlier. Kay was still sitting by the fire, she hadn't moved except to help start it and to get a few more rum bottles.  
"Really bad eggs," Jack sang out, then collapsed in the sand next to Kay. Elizabeth flopped down next to him on his other side. "I LOVE that song," he slurred. "When I get the Pearl back I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew. And we'll sing it all the time," he declared.  
"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth said.  
"Not just the Spanish Main, luv. The entire ocean, the entire world. Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship really is you know. Not just a keel, and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs. What a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom," he finished quietly. Elizabeth saw Kay glance at him, then close her eyes and turn her head before taking another swig of her rum.  
"It must have been terrible for you Jack, stuck here," Elizabeth murmured, cuddling closer to Jack. She saw Kay wince.  
"Oh yes," Jack said. He crept one arm around Elizabeth, the other around Kay, pulling her closer. "The company, however, is far better than last time. The scenery has definitely improved." Elizabeth was starting to feel uncomfortable.  
"Mister Sparrow," she said suddenly, pulling away. "I don't think I've had quite enough rum to allow this kind of talk."  
"I know exactly what you mean luv," Jack said. He picked up his bottle.  
"To freedom," declared Elizabeth, lifting hers.  
"To the Black Pearl," Jack said. They clinked bottles, and Jack drank, Elizabeth pretended to. She was starting to feel giddy anyway and she had only had about half a bottle. She didn't know how Jack was still awake. She no sooner thought that than he collapsed backwards, asleep. She smirked, her plan finally worked. Now she could collect the rest of the rum barrels and start a bonfire. She stood up, and Kay joined her, swaying slightly. Elizabeth wondered just how much the other girl had had to drink.  
She walked back to the trap door, Kay following. As Elizabeth started carrying out rum barrels, Kay went down and came back out clutching another two rum bottles.  
"How much have you had to drink?" Elizabeth asked incredulously.  
"Not enough," Kay told her bitterly. "I can still think and feel." She trudged back to the beach, Elizabeth watching her depart with a confused feeling. That girl looked as if she had suffered for most of her life, and was just living because there was nothing else to do. Elizabeth had seen the looks she had given Jack all throughout the day. It was obvious she cared for him, but it was as if she was afraid to. She watched as Kay finished another bottle, than collapse in the sand next to Jack. Elizabeth decided to leave her the other bottle she had grabbed. She had more than enough here for what she needed. But she ached for Kay, and wished that she could do something to help her. But the girl refused to get too close to her, and from what Will had told her, she refused to get too close to anyone.  
With a sigh, Elizabeth went back to work.  
  
Kay: Kay woke the next morning with her head throbbing painfully. This had to bet the worst hangover she had ever had. Last night it had taken more to get herself drunk than she had thought, and as a consequence her hangover was bigger. She also noticed with a twinge that she had failed to drown her emotions, they were still just as sharp as ever.  
Kay opened her eyes, then groaned and shut them tight. The sunlight hurt something fierce, and made her headache bigger. She slowly rolled over and staggered to her feet. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she stumbled down the beach. She dipped her bandanna in the water, then put that over her eyes. It helped with the headache. When her head stopped throbbing enough for her to move around easily she moved under the shade of a tree and sat down, retying her damp bandanna into her hair. She heard yelling from down the beach and turned to look. Elizabeth had, apparently, used all the remaining rum to start a huge bonfire. Kay wondered that she hadn't smelt the smoke when she got up.  
She started fingering her locket. The cold metal was comforting in her hand. She opened it to look at the pictures of her parents again. Silent tears began to roll down her cheeks. She missed them so much. She sat alone on the beach, staring down at her open locket, and wondered why the world had chosen to torture her.  
  
Jack: Jack stormed down the beach muttering under his breath.  
"Must have been terrible for Jack, must have terrible. Well it bloody is now!" he screamed back down the beach. Elizabeth either didn't hear, or heard and ignored him. He turned around, and saw a ship with white sails, far off, but obviously sailing their way.  
"There'll be no living with her after this," he muttered. He turned with a sigh and saw Kay sitting under the shade of a tree, holding something in her hands and crying silently. (A.N. I'm not sure how long it actually took the ship to reach the island, but I'm using artistic license to drag out time so bear with me here.) Jack walked over to Kay, who didn't notice. He saw what she was holding, an open locket, with the pictures of a man and a women. Thinking hard, he recalled them as Kay's parents. He had watched her say goodbye to them in that dream.  
"They're yer parents?" he asked quietly. Kay snapped her head up with a gasp, clutching her fist around the locket. Then she groaned and put a hand to her head. Jack knelt down in front of her, recalling the bottles of rum he had seen littering the campfire area. He knew he hadn't drunk that much, and Elizabeth definitely hadn't had more than a bottle, if that. "How much did ye have to drink?" he asked her quietly. Her slight groan was answer enough. Obviously too much. He sighed. Drinking was obviously a last resort to dull whatever pain she was trying so hard to hide.  
He reached over to her clenched fist and coaxed her fingers open. Kay stared again at the pictures of her parents. She wanted to close the locket and forget. Forget them, forget her past, and forget her pain. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't. Tears welled up again that she was powerless to stop. Jack reached over to brush them away.  
"What happened to them?" he asked gently.  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Kay said quietly. "You have no idea who I am. If I told you where I'm from you'd think I was crazy."  
Jack smiled. "I don't," he told her. "I heard ye talkin to Will." She glanced up, surprised. "I know yer from the future. I believe that." Kay swallowed. Jack decided he knew how to get her to open up. "Ten years ago I was standin on my ship, talkin to a friend of mine, when I look down and see a girl starin up at me," he started, settling himself in the sand in front of Kay. Her eyes were wide open. "The girl looked to me like a ghost, I could see right through her. When I asked my friend if he could see her he said he couldn't." Kay had started to chew on her lower lip. "That night when I went to sleep, I dreamed I was in a strange house, and I watched that same girl for a few minutes, as she said goodbye to her parents. I saw her again a few days later, stadin in the rain at a funeral. And the next night," here he hesitated. "The next night was the mutiny. I was stranded here. The next day I discovered the rum cache, so that night I was drinking on the beach, back where we were before," he gestured in the general direction. Kay was following his every word almost desperately. "That girl was you Kay. I saw you the last time that night, until back when we met at Port Royal." Kay swallowed hard, closing her eyes.  
"I had dreams like that too," she admitted quietly. "I recognized you when I saw you on the docks that day." She looked at him suddenly. "That's why you brought me with you, when though Will got you out of jail. You knew who I was." Jack nodded. Kay brought her knees up to her chest and clutched them tightly.  
"So what happened?" Jack asked again. He didn't need to elaborate. They both knew what he was asking about. A while passed. Jack almost thought Kay wasn't going to say anything, then she finally spoke.  
"I was 16," she said, in a voice devoid of all emotion. "16. My dad's boss was hosting a party for his employees and their families, so my parents were going to be gone all day. It was winter, and while they were gone it rained. Then the temperatures dropped, and the water froze." Kay's voice started to crack slightly. She took a deep breath before continuing. "They decided to come home a bit early. No one knows exactly what happened. They were on an overpass, and another car hit them, running both cars off the road. They slid on the ice, right over the side." She swallowed again. "The cops said they probably died on impact." She wasn't loosening up at all, in fact she was becoming more tense and turned inward, hiding further behind her walls. But she continued. "I was taken to a foster home. There were three other girls there. Kia, Lennet, and Marie. We became closer than sisters in time." She smiled slightly at the memory. "Then everything went to hell. Kia developed cancer. She fought it, and after a while she went into remission. Things started to go back to normal." She shivered, grimacing at the memory. In a choked voice she continued. "No one knows how it happened. But Lennet fell down the stairs. In the fall, she broke her neck. Shortly after that Kia's cancer came back. She couldn't fight it this time." Kay was choking down a sob. "She died, too, only a few months later. I went to college with Marie, we didn't want to leave each other. I met a boy, Daren. He was a year ahead of me. We started dating. Over Christmas he died in a skiing accident." Kay became quiet for a few minutes, fighting back tears, before continuing on. "That summer Marie and I went to the beach. She was caught in a riptide. She drowned before the lifeguard could reach her." Kay suddenly became self-accusing. "It's my fault! Everyone I get close to dies. I've lost everyone I ever cared about." She began to sob, clutching her knees tightly.  
Jack moved forward and gathered the sobbing girl to his chest. She fought for a moment, but he refused to let her go.  
"Ye poor girl," he whispered. "Ye poor, lonely girl." Kay stopped struggling, and clung to Jack like a lifeline, sobbing hard. Ten years of grief snatched her up in a whirlwind and tossed about as helplessly as a feather in a hurricane. Jack held her gently, her only solid anchor in the storm of emotion that had been let loose. After a long time her sobs finally subsided to a quiet crying. Jack gently stroked her hair.  
"It wasn't yer fault," he told her. Kay made a noise of protest. "It wasn't," Jack said. "It's not yer fault that yer parents crashed, or that yer friends died, or anything that happened here." She needed to hear this. She was going through life blaming herself for everything bad that happened to anyone. She needed to stop. But someone had to first convince her that she was wrong, and that was going to take time. "None of it was your fault," Jack told her again. Then he simply held her while she lay limp in his arms, exhausted from facing down years of pent up emotions.  
After a while Kay pulled away and slowly stood up. Jack stood too, and glanced out at the water. The ship had reached the island, and a rowboat had just about reached it. He gently guided Kay back to the campfire, where Elizabeth was waiting. She took a startled look at Kay's red eyes, and tear- streaked cheeks and opened her mouth, but Jack silently raised a warning finger. She gave him a puzzled look, and he shook his head. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, she didn't entirely trust him, but she knew that Kay did, so she let the matter rest.  
The rowboat reached the beach then, and all three of them walked down to meet the soldiers who had been sent to fetch them.  
  
Whew. That took a while to type. That was a hard chapter to write. Hope you like it! Again, cake to all those who review! Hey, is there a shark missing? Dragon: burp (innocent look) Me: sigh... 


	9. Amanda Bell's Gift

Okay once again I am REALLY sorry about the long wait for updates. (dodges rotten food thrown by readers)Bad luck decided to pay me a visit last week, every time I was free to use the computer, someone else was using it, or I had to go somewhere. Anyway I hope you like this next section. Oh, and as promised, here's cake to all my reviewers! Enjoy! Disclaimer: If you REALLY want to read it, see the first few chapters. Lawyer: You can't do that! Me: I just did. Now shut up or I'll lower you within reach of the hungry sharks. Lawyer: I'll shut up. Dragon: Drat... Chapter 9: Amanda Bell's Gift  
Kay stood on the deck of the Dauntless, half-listening as Elizabeth gave a hasty overview of her experience. Someone had given her a soldier's coat to cover the nightgown she was wearing.  
Kay found that she had experienced too much in the past few hours, and that her emotions had once again shut down. She was separated from the rest of the world, listless, not caring one way or the other what happened to her. She wanted to rest. She still had a hangover headache to top off everything else, and she needed to rest. Elizabeth's shrill protest cut through her listlessness and woke her up again.  
"But we've got to save Will!"  
"No," Governor Swan told her forcefully. "We shall return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates."  
"So what about Will? Are we just going to leave him?" Elizabeth pleaded. Governor Swan and Commodore Norington exchanged looks.  
"The boy's fate is regrettable," said Governor Swan, sounding as if he really didn't care at all. "But so was his decision to engage in piracy."  
"To rescue me!" shrilled Elizabeth. "To keep anything from happening to me!"  
"The Pearl was listing rather badly and it's unlikely she'll be able to make good time," said Jack, stepping forward to back Elizabeth. "Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean. How can you pass that up?" he asked Norington.  
Norington looked him over in distaste. "By remembering that I serve others Mr. Sparrow, not only myself." Governor Swan and Commodore Norington started to walk away. Desperately Elizabeth followed them. "Commodore I beg you to do this for me." She paused for a brief second, and getting no response added, "As a wedding gift."  
That brought Elizabeth a few stares, Kay's and Norington's not the least of them.  
"Elizabeth," exclaimed Governor Swan happily. "Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?"  
"I am," said Elizabeth in stoic resignation.  
"Wedding? I love weddings! Drinks all around!" Jack stepped forward. Kay almost smiled. The Commodore glared. "I know." Jack held out his hands. "Clap him in irons, right?"  
The Commodore stepped forward thoughtfully. "Mr. Sparrow you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide them with the heading to Isle de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?"  
"Inescapably," Jack said.  
"What of this one here?" asked one of the soldiers, pointing at Kay. "What should I so with her?"  
Kay looked directly at the Commodore and he caught her eyes without meaning to for a brief second. What he saw there disturbed him greatly. Misery and grief held prominence, and other things he couldn't quite identify. He hadn't paid the girl much mind before. She was dressed like a pirate, brown slacks, loose white shirt, black bandanna, and a rather ratty braid of dark brown hair. Now, like nearly everyone else who saw Kay, he was filled with a deep sympathy for her. But he found her gaze disturbing and had to look away quickly.  
"Sir?" asked the soldier.  
"Take her to wherever I'm staying," Elizabeth told him. "She's my friend, she can stay with me." The Commodore nodded his assent and Kay was led off to a small cabin.  
"I'll have a cot brought in," the soldier told her. Kay nodded, and walked over to the bed and sat down.  
She ran her hands down the legs of her pants. Bringing them up again she encountered a bulge in her pocket. Frowning she reached in and pulled out the cloth-wrapped book she had been given in Tortuga. She stared down at it in shock. She had completely forgotten about it. She hurriedly unwrapped it, relieved to see that the waterproof cloths had kept it from being harmed in her swim to the island.  
When they went out from Tortuga Kay hadn't had the time to examine it. Now she did. The leather bound book had a strange familiarity. She felt that she had seen it before. Curiously she opened it. The first page nearly knocked the wind out of her. "The Diary of Amanda Bell."  
Shaking Kay turned the page. The first entry was dated in these times. Still shaking, Kay read the entry.  
  
"Today my father announced that I am to be married. Married! To someone I never met before, and care nothing about! He claims he has my best interests at heart, but I know my parents. This is just another of their sorry attempts at social climbing. I'm sick of it. I have no friends and no confidants because my parents feel that I should not socialize regularly with anyone below our social standing, which, to them, is everyone else on this island. This diary is now my only confidant. So now I'll confide this.  
I'm leaving. Tomorrow night. I have made arrangements with a captain, who agreed to take me to Tortuga where I'm sure I can find another ship willing to take me elsewhere. Anywhere else, as long as it's far away from here and my "well meaning" parents. The money I shall take to pay for my passages and to get myself settled my parents shall hardly miss."  
  
Kay finished the entry. She read the next few, describing Amanda's flight and her arrival at Tortuga. Kay smiled weakly at finding that Amanda's impression of the dirty little town mirrored her own. In the next entry Amanda wrote that she had found a captain who would be willing to take her to Port Royale. She was meeting with him later that day to discuss a fee. She wanted to stay hidden because her parents had arrived on the island and were searching for her.  
Kay had finally managed to calm herself again, but when she turned the nest page her efforts were thrown to the wind and she felt as if someone had slugged her in the gut. The next passage was dated May 10th, 1978. Struggling to breathe normally she read it.  
  
"The past few days have been, to say the least, unbelievable. I'm still not entirely sure that I'm not dreaming. I'm constantly looking around, expecting to wake up at any moment back home. At first I wanted to, I was so confused and scared. Now I'm not so sure. I like it here. I feel free. Let me back up a bit.  
I went to talk to the captain about passage on his ship. We were sitting in the bar talking when everything started to, shimmer, I guess. There's no other word for it. Then the bar faded out all together. I jumped up from my chair, but it was no longer there. The bar had disappeared and I was suddenly standing in a strange room. It was obviously used for storage, it was filled with boxes and very dusty. The only things I had with me was my money bag and my diary. Then I heard someone behind me. I turned around and saw a young man. He had black hair and dark blue eyes. He was dressed strangely, in what he later said was a tee-shirt and blue jeans. He was looking at me like I was a ghost. But then I was staring at him the same way.  
He finally asked me who I was. I told him my name, then he told me his. Christopher Joans.  
  
Kay suppressed a whimper. She has been right. This was her mother's diary, the man she was describing was her father. Her earlier assumptions had been proven correct. Her mother was from this time period, and she had gone forward in time. A fleeting hope that she was here now rose in Kay. Maybe her parents hadn't died but had come here before the car crashed. Kay shook herself out of the daydream. Their bodies had been found and there was no use in torturing herself into believing that they were still living. Wiping away tears Kay kept reading.  
The entry went on to say that Christopher took Amanda to his home. He had seen her just appear out of nowhere in the basement of his work building, so he believed her story. At least he believed it after he managed to convince himself he wasn't dreaming or crazy. After that the entries became a little farther apart in time. Amanda started writing about events that were important to her only. Like when Christopher proposed to her, and their wedding day. She wrote a small entry for almost every day of their honeymoon too. She said she felt like she had never lived anywhere else and that her past life felt like just a dream.  
About halfway through the book was another entry that brought a fresh stream of tears to Kay's eyes. It was about her birth. Amanda's words practically glowed with joy, and Kay could vividly see the picture the words painted. She watched in her mother's small, neat handwriting as she learned how to crawl, walk, and talk. She watched herself grow up through a different pair of eyes. She always knew that her parents had loved her, but seeing it written in her mother's journal, seeing the unaltered pride in her mother's words, it somehow hit her harder.  
Footsteps sounded outside the room and Kay quickly tried to duck behind her walls, to put on her emotionless mask, only to discover that the walls were starting to crumble, and that the mask wasn't holding together. The footsteps passed by the room without stopping however, so Kay turned back to her mother's diary.  
It was nearing the end of the diary, and Kay read about her fifteenth birthday, about how her mother was sad that her little girl was growing up so fast. Then the date of the entries suddenly changed again, reverting back to the past.  
  
I was scared yesterday, when I found myself back here. It seemed that only about a year or maybe two have passed since I disappeared. I've become something of a mini legend. But now I think I know why I was brought back, and I know this isn't permanent. I'll be going home soon, but I'm almost afraid to now. It was impossible not to recognize her, especially after mother mistook her for me. But oh how she's grown up. She must be at least in her twenties by now. My beautiful little girl, all grown up.  
I think I was brought back because, for some reason, I'm not there for her in the future. Even from a distance it's easy to see, she's miserable. Lonely and miserable. I can hardly believe that this is the happy, carefree, energetic girl I left at home. It hurts me to see my little girl in this much pain. From what I've seen she's closed up her heart. But if I'm right, I pray to God I am, it looks like she only needs a little push to open it up again. I hope I can help her.  
  
Kay closed the book and swallowed hard, eyes squinched shut against a flood of tears. She was breathing hard, sucking in air through clenched teeth. The door opened then, and Elizabeth walked in. She looked at Kay and stopped, shocked. Then in a quick movement she sat down beside the older girl and wrapped her arms around her, offering her a shoulder to cry on.  
At first Kay continued to fight against the flood of tears threatening, then she gave in to them, holding tightly to Elizabeth for support. When the tears finally stopped she was shocked to find that she didn't hurt as much. It was as if some deep wound had finally started to heal.  
"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked finally.  
In response Kay pushed the journal over to her. "It was my mother's," she said by way of explanation. Elizabeth opened the journal and began to read. When she came to the part about Amanda's trip through time she sputtered in disbelief. She read on for a few minutes, then turned to Kay.  
"I think you need to explain a few things." She said quietly. So Kay did. She told Elizabeth about her life, and everything that had happened up until that point. She talked for a few hours. While she talked a solider brought in a cot for Kay to sleep on, and Elizabeth helped Kay set it up. Finally Kay finished her story, finding to he surprise that it was easier to talk about this time, it didn't hurt as much.  
Elizabeth sat in silence for a few minutes after hearing the tale, thinking. She flipped through the journal again and sighed. Kay waited for her response in silence.  
"You know," Elizabeth started. "If I had heard this story even last week I don't think I would have believed a word of it. But I've seen so much in the past few days." She sighed again, and shook her head. "I do believe you. Strange as this all is, I do believe you." She smiled at Kay, who smiled back hesitantly. She was starting to see Elizabeth as a friend, despite the voice in the back of her head still screaming that being friends with anyone was too dangerous.  
Elizabeth glanced down and read the last passage in the diary. She couldn't see that being the end, though. Kay was staring at her knees in thought. Elizabeth turned the page, and found to her shock, a letter on the last two pages of the book. It was addressed to Kay. She nudged the girl's shoulder and wordlessly handed the book over, open to the letter. With a slight frown Kay accepted the book. She read the first few lines eyes widening in shock. Elizabeth decided to leave the girl alone for a while. She probably wanted privacy to read the letter her mother had written.  
Kay was barely conscious of Elizabeth quietly retreating from the room. All her attention was now on the book in her hands, and the letter her mother had addressed to her.  
  
Dear Kay,  
I'm going to give this book to someone to give to you. I'll probably be gone by morning but I must be sure you receive this.  
I guess from reading this you figured out that those bedtime stories about the young runaway who traveled through time to find true love were really about me. I hope you had an easy journey back here, and I hope you can forgive me for not telling you the truth. But would you have really believed me if I had? Well, now you know. I hope you're enjoying my time.  
I want to tell you, first, that I love you. You're the brightest spot in my life, my daughter. Nothing is more precious to me than you are. Watching you grow up gave me the greatest pride. Just watching you made me the happiest person in the world.  
Second, I want to say that you've grown up beautifully. You look just like me, as I'm sure my mother informed you earlier. It's hard to believe that my little baby girl has grown up. You've become a beautiful young women. (I know you always hated being called a young lady.)  
Now I wasn't sure why I was brought back in time again. But after seeing you tonight I think I have an idea. You're lonely, scared and lonely. On the outside I see a beautiful, detached young woman, but on the inside I see a scared, lonely child, afraid to trust herself. I'm not sure what's happened between the young girl I left this morning and now Kay, but I do know that keeping yourself bottled up inside isn't the answer. You're just going to hurt yourself more.  
It hurts me no end to see you in so much pain Kay. I want to help you, more than anything but I don't think I can. I think you need to work this out on your own. But I will leave you with this piece of advice. Trust your heart. Always trust your heart because your heart never leads you wrong. In the end, it'll bring you to safe ground, if you just let your heart guide you.  
Don't hide your heart away Kay. And don't be afraid to love, and to be loved. This is all I can give you. I hope it's enough. I love you Kay. Come life, come pain, come death itself I'll love you always. And I'll always watch over you.  
  
Mom  
  
Amanda Joans  
  
Kay read through the letter several times, tears making silent tracks down her cheeks.  
  
Trust your heart  
  
How could she? Every time she cared for someone they ended up dead, and her heart broken.  
  
Let your heart guide you  
  
Oh how she wanted to, but could she really? Was it really safe to?  
  
In the end, it'll bring you to safe ground  
  
Dare she trust that? Dare she?  
  
Amanda watched, as for the third time in her life, the world shimmered around her. The boy she had sent with her journal had already trotted away on his errand, so she was assured that her daughter would receive her gift. The world solidified again, into the living room of her house. Almost instantly there were light footsteps on the stairs.  
Amanda walked into the kitchen just as her 15 year old daughter entered through the other door, yawning. Kay padded over to the fridge and started rooting through it for breakfast. Settling on waffles, she tugged a few out of the freezer and popped them in the toaster. She leaned against the counter and waited for them to toast. She felt Amanda's gaze and turned to look at her, puzzled.  
"Something wrong mom?" she asked quietly. Amanda crossed over to her and wrapped her daughter in a tight embrace.  
"No anymore. I think everything's going to be just fine."  
  
Done! Finally! I wasn't sure whether to add that last section with Amanda, but I decided to put it in, so let me know what you think of it. I'll try to update again soon, but again, no promises. Extra cake to all reviewers again! Dragon: (burp) Sorry. We're out of cake. Me: Okay then. I'll bake a batch of cookies special for all of you who review! Let me know what kind you want 


	10. Broken Walls

Wow. I have time to update. (Dies from shock) Um, here's my first batch of cookies, soft chocolate chip by special request. Enjoy. Lawyer: Can I have one? Me: No. They're for my reviewers. (Swats at dragon, who is trying to eat the cookies.) Still taking orders for cookies here. Hurry up and read, review, and request! I'm in the mood to BAKE!  
  
Chapter 10: Broken Walls Jack: Jack had given the soldiers the headings to Isle de Muerta, giving them his compass so they wouldn't get lost. It was night now, and they were finally anchored a ways from the island. Hearing soft footsteps behind him, Jack turned and saw Elizabeth walking towards him. With a glance at him Elizabeth stopped next to him and leaned on the ship's rail, staring longingly out at the island.  
"Where's Kay?" he asked her.  
"My room," she said shortly, not elaborating. Before he could say anything else Elizabeth commented, "You didn't tell him about the curse." She was referring obviously, to Norrington.  
"I notice neither did you. For the same reasons I imagine."  
"He wouldn't have risked it," Elizabeth muttered.  
(ARGH! Why was this a deleted scene!? I can't remember what they said next! I HATE being forced to improvise!)  
"Don't get me wrong, I admire a person who's willing to do whatever it takes," said Jack. Elizabeth glanced at him, smiling slightly. They both stood in silence for a few more minutes, then hearing footsteps they turned to see the Commodore. He tossed Jack his compass.  
"With me Sparrow," he commanded. Jack followed him to one of the rowboats, where several soldiers were already seated. Jack was about to climb in when someone called out.  
"Wait!" The voice was quiet, but firm, and both Jack and Norington turned in surprise to see Kay standing behind them. "I'm coming with," she announced calmly.  
Jack glanced sideways at the commodore who had opened his mouth to protest. But he made the mistake of looking Kay in the eyes again. He immediately started shifting uncomfortably, turning his gaze hastily away.  
"If you must," he muttered in defeat.  
"Kay nodded to him. "Thank you." Jack climbed into the rowboat, Kay following him, and Norrington climbing in last. Jack glanced sideways at Kay once they were seated. There was something different in her manner, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. But when she glanced at him sideways he saw something in her eyes he had almost never thought to see. Hope.  
  
Kay: The boat was stopped just off the rocks of Isle de Muerta. The commodore was peering through his telescope at the cave.  
"I don't care for the situation," he admitted. "Any attempt to storm the caves could turn into an ambush."  
"Not if you're the ones doing the ambushing," Jack told him. "I can go into the cave and convince Barbossa and his men to row out in they're little boats. Then you and your men blast the bejesus out of them with your little cannons, aye? What've you got to lose?" he asked, laying his hand on the commodore's shoulder in a friendly manner.  
"Nothing I'd lament being rid of," hissed Norrington, plucking Jack's hand off his arm. Kay turned away to hide her smile.  
"To be quite honest with you," Jack said, suddenly faking concern, "there is still a danger to the futer Mrs. Commodore." Kay glanced at Jack again, then shook her head.  
They rowed back to the ship and the soldiers climbed out. Kay shifted to the far side of the boat. Norrington turned and spotted her, then reached a hand to assist her up. She merely looked at him again. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Norrington dropped his hand.  
"Miss are you sure you don't want to remain safely on the ship?" he asked, not looking at her.  
"I can take care of myself," Kay answered quietly. Norrington nearly shot himself up the ladder, clearly eager to be out of Kay's gaze.  
Jack turned to look at her. "You sure you don't want to stay luv?" he asked.  
He saw her left hand finger at her pocket. "I'm sure," she said. Her eyes looked distant and sad. "I know what I'm doing now."  
Without another word, Jack picked up the oars and rowed them back to the island. Neither said another word the whole way there. Kay was too lost in thought, and Jack to uncomfortable to break the silence.  
They reached the cave, and Kay suddenly seemed to come awake. She glanced around nervously, as if suddenly questioning her choice to come, clearly remembering the last time they had been there. Then she looked over at Jack, biting her lip. She reached over to her left pocket again, seeming to gather strength from whatever she carried, for she calmed down.  
They beached the boat, then hurried through the passageway to the cave. Will was standing over the chest of gold and Barbossa had his knife raised. Only a gentle squeeze on her arm from Jack kept Kay from shouting out. Jack navigated them through the crowd of pirates swiftly, muttering apologies as he pushed people out of the way. The cheering gradually died down as he was noticed.  
Barbossa, who had his knife to Will's throat, glanced up to se why the cheering had stopped. His eyes rested on Jack.  
"Not possible," he breathed.  
"Not probable," Jack corrected.  
Barbossa finally found his senses. "Shut up!" he snapped. "You're next." He moved the knife to Will's throat again.  
"You don't want to be doing that," Jack said confidentially.  
"No I really think I do," Barbossa growled.  
Jack shrugged, as if he didn't care. "You're funeral," he commented.  
Rolling his eyes, Barbossa lowered his knife and asked, "And why don't I want to be doing this?"  
Jack smiled triumphantly. "Because the HMS Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is anchored just offshore, waiting for you."  
There was scared murmuring throughout the cave. Kay followed Jack to stand in front of Barbossa. Will was staring at her in surprise. As Jack talked, Kay couldn't help but grin at him. "Miss me?" she whispered. He continued to look as if someone had hit him over the head with something hard and heavy. She hadn't listened to what Jack had said, but now she turned to see how Barbossa would respond. He looked thoughtful.  
"I suppose in exchange you want me to not kill the whelp?"  
"No, no, no. It's by all means, kill the whelp. Just, not yet. Wait for the opportune moment," he said, glancing significantly at Will. He scooped a handful of coins. "For instance, after you're killed Norington's men." He dropped a coin into the chest with a clink. "Every." Clink. "Last." Clink. "One." Clink.  
Barbossa looked at Jack thoughtfully for a moment before announcing, "I want fifty percent of yer plunder."  
"Fifteen."  
"Thirty."  
"Twenty-five. And I'll buy you the hat. A really big hat. Commodore."  
Barbossa glanced over at Kay, who struggled to repress a shudder. Jack followed his gaze.  
"The lass isn't part of the deal," he said aggressively. Barbossa shrugged and stretched out his hand.  
"We have an accord."  
Jack whirled to face the assembled pirates. "All hands to the boats!" he cried. Then he glanced sideways at Barbossa. "Apologies," he muttered. "You give the orders."  
Barbossa smirked. "Gents, take a walk." The pirates grinned and began to file out.  
"Not to the boats?" Jack asked, then shot a worried look at Kay.  
Kay, realizing what would happen when the undead pirates reached the unsuspecting Dauntless, began to panic, swallowing hard to keep from screaming out. Jack tugged gently on her arm, and pulled her off to examine the treasure. Barbossa and the three others who remained in the cave moved away from the chest and went to stand nearer to the water. Barbossa dragged Will with him.  
Jack squeezed Kay's arm again as he inspected a jeweled crown. "Don't worry luv," he muttered. Kay glanced at him sideways, wondering how he could remain so damn calm through everything. They poked around the cave for a bit, and Kay placed the location of a sword in the treasure pile. Jack was inspecting a gold statue when Barbossa spoke again.  
"You know Jack I thought I had you figured. Turns out You're a hard man to predict."  
"Me?" asked Jack. He gave Kay a gentle shove in the direction of the sword. "I'm dishonest, honestly. It's the honest ones you've got to watch out for because you can never tell when they're going to do something incredibly. Stupid." He looked meaningfully at Will, then kicked a pirate in the rear, sending him splashing into the water, grabbing his sword and tossing it to Will, while he grabbed his own and leapt to face off with Barbossa. Kay grabbed the sword out of the pile and rushed over to Will, cutting his bindings quickly. He grabbed up the sword Jack had tossed to him, and they turned to fight the other three pirates in the cave.  
For a while they did fine, Kay blessing the years she had spent when younger learning to fence. She leaped down into the water, hoping to draw one of the pirates away form Will. She glanced over at Jack in time to see him stab Barbossa through the chest. Kay felt like cheering. Then Barbossa pulled the sword out his own chest and stabbed Jack. Kay shrieked suddenly in fear and anguish. She watched as Jack staggered back into the moonlight, and instantly turned into a skeleton. Kay vaguely remembered when he had picked up a handful of the cursed gold. She watched as he flicked one through his fingers. As the two cursed pirates went at it again, Kay turned in time to see Will fall into the water.  
"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain!" growled a pirate.  
"You like pain?" asked a new voice. Kay watched in shock as Elizabeth stepped out and whacked the pirate over the head with a pole. "Try wearing a corset." She said in satisfaction. Kay ran over to them as they turned to look at Jack and Barbossa.  
"Whose side is Jack on?" queried Elizabeth.  
"At the moment?" Will shrugged. The three of them ran fight the pirates, eventually skewering the three on Elizabeth's pole. Kay snagged a bomb off one of them, lit it, and handed it to Will who shoved it into the skeleton of the middle pirate. The three pushed them out of the moonlight and backed up.  
"No fair," said the pirate weakly, just before the bomb went off. They scattered, and out of the corner of her eye Kay saw Jack cut his hand and toss his bloodied coin to Will, who caught it and raced for the stone chest. Kay focused her gaze on Barbossa who aimed his pistol at Elizabeth. A shot rang through the cavern.  
Kay saw Elizabeth step off the rock she stood on, shaken, but unhurt. Confused Kay looked to Jack, who had a smoking pistol pointed at Barbossa's chest.  
"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste yer shot?" Barbossa asked scathingly.  
"He didn't waste it!" announced Will. Kay looked at him. He held a bloody knife in one hand, whit the other he dropped a bloody gold coin into the chest.  
Barbossa scrambled to open his coat, staring in horror at the spreading stain of red on his white shirt. He glanced up. "I feel." A strange look crossed his face. "Cold." He collapsed backwards, an apple falling from his dead hand. Kay vaguely wondered how he had managed to fight and hold on to it.  
In a daze Kay stumbled through the water and started to climb up the rocks to where Jack was. He extended a hand to her. Kay reached to take it then paused. She knew he wasn't just offering her a hand up, he was offering so much more. She stared, shaking now, at the extended offer, wondering whether she dared accept. Will and Elizabeth watched her with desperate expressions, both silently urging her to take Jack's hand. Jack didn't move. Kay swallowed.  
  
I will leave you with this piece of advice.  
  
Should she take it?  
  
Trust your heart.  
  
Dare she? Dare she do that?  
  
Always trust your heart because your heart never leads you wrong.  
  
But every time she listened to her heart, those she loved got hurt or killed. How could she listen now?  
  
In the end, it'll bring you to safe ground if you just let your heart guide you.  
  
Kay wavered, trembling visibly, tears running silent tracks down her cheeks. She had been hurt so many times before. Her heart had suffered so many blows. If it was willing to trust again, after all that, shouldn't she let it?  
Kay closed her eyes. Then slowly placed her hand in Jack's and let him pull her up. Kay opened her eyes and smiled, the last of her walls crumbling down around her into dust. Jack pulled her close, smiling in relief as he gently kissed the top of her head.  
From where they were standing Will and Elizabeth also sighed in relief, happy that Kay was finally ready to trust again. Then they turned to look at each other.  
Jack finally released Kay, keeping one hand on her shoulder as he stepped back, grinning mischievously.  
"Looks like we're the new owners of all this," he said, gesturing around. "What say we help ourselves?" Kay laughed, the first true, honest laugh she had made in years that didn't hold a trace of sorrow.  
"Yes let's," the said, still giggling as she trailed after Jack. They rooted through the piles, Jack putting on a ton of jewelry, and a crown, which made Kay burst out in fresh laughter. He seemed to be searching for something in particular. Kay rooted through a pile in front of her, admiring, but not actually taking anything. Then Jack took her left hand suddenly, and slipped something on her finger. Startled, Kay stared at her hand, and at the small diamond ring nestled snuggly on her ring finger.  
She glanced up at Jack, who reached over and placed his hand against her cheek. She let him pull her forward gently to place a kiss on her lips. She wrapped her arm around his neck, not letting him pull away as she kissed him back.  
We must make quite a sight, she thought with a smile. They finally broke apart, sharing a smile, then turned and walked over to Will and Elizabeth. Kay was startled to see Elizabeth walking away in tears.  
"If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it," Kay heard Jack say to Will. "Now I'll be much obliged if you'd drop us off at my ship." Jack took Kay by the arm and they all walked to the rowboat.  
When they reached open water Kay instantly knew something was wrong. Elizabeth looked miserable. Panicking, Kay frantically scanned the water, but only saw one ship floating there.  
"I'm sorry Jack," Elizabeth said miserably.  
"They've done what's right by them," Jack said in resignation. "Can't expect more than that." He glanced at Kay. She was watching him with wide, frightened eyes. He couldn't help feeling, however far the situation had been from his hands that he had let her down.  
  
Whew! Done. The oven is still ready, so reviewers please request your favorite cookies. Um, okay. Dragon: just ask. Me: Okay! I've been on this site for several months now, and no matter how hard I try I can't figure out exactly what a Marry Sue is! Could somebody please enlighten me? Thank you. 


	11. Learning to Fall

**Okay I know I've been promising to try and update faster (and I swear I do try) but after my last post, I was buried under a mountain of schoolwork, and then my finals came so my dad didn't let me on the computer because I had to study. But my last exam was this morning, so I am now on Summer break and I really can update more often! So here's the next chapter. I'm trying my hand at a songfic. I heard this song the other day and I thought it fit in so well with the story that I would use it in one of the chapters. Let me know what you think. The song is Learning to Fall by Martina Mcbride.  
**  
Chapter 11: Learning to Fall  
  
_I was alone in the dark  
_  
Alone. That was how Kay had lived most of her life. Ever since her parents had died she had pretty much been alone, Kay reflected bitterly as she leaned against the rail of the ship, dejectedly staring down at the water below.  
  
_Never let down my guard_  
  
She had built up walls around herself to keep out the world. She had been so afraid of getting hurt again. She had always been walking on eggshells, protective and defensive.  
  
_Closed the curtain on my heart  
_  
She'd locked her heart away behind those walls, tried to protect it from the rest of the world. She'd kept herself bottled up inside.  
  
_So the world could not see All the demons in me_  
  
She hadn't wanted to let anyone in again. She knew that if people saw past her mask, they would see the agonized, lost little girl she really was and feel sorry for her. She didn't anyone's pity. She didn't want anyone to care for her because they would just wind up getting hurt.  
  
_Told myself I was free  
_  
She'd had herself convinced that that was the best way to go. She wouldn't have to worry about those she cared for getting hurt if she didn't care for anyone. She'd had herself convinced that she was well off.  
  
_Then you showed me how wrong I could be_  
  
Then she had met Jack, and all that had changed. Kay looked back over the time she had been here, and smiled to herself as she realized that Jack had done what she had previously thought was impossible.  
  
_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble That once was a wall_  
  
Inside, she started picking her way down the pile of debris that was the only remnants of the walls that she had hidden behind for so long.  
  
_Took years to build around me_  
  
She had spent ten years building them up and strengthening them. Ten years hiding away from the rest of the world. Ten years successfully avoiding getting close to people.  
  
_And you came along_  
  
Then she had met Jack. Thrown together under impossible circumstances it had been impossible to avoid getting close to him. But she hadn't expected what had happened.  
  
_And you tore it down_

_ Like it was nothing at all_  
  
The walls that Kay had spent years reinforcing, Jack had crumbled into dust in less than a week. Kay smiled to herself. Despite everything he had managed to reach through to her, to the real her.  
  
_Now it's a little scary Learning to fall_  
  
She had been so afraid of being hurt and now she was falling. She wondered what would happen when she hit bottom, and found that she was no longer afraid to find out.  
  
_When you looked in my eyes_  
  
Even the first time Jack had looked at her he hadn't been fooled by the detached, indifferent mask that she wore.  
  
_Past the fear and false pride _

_You saw goodness inside_  
  
He had seen straight through her, straight to the scared, lost, and lonely child that she really was.  
  
_I can't believe how I feel_  
  
In less than a week Kay had become a completely different person. She was no longer a scared, helpless child, but a happy, daring young woman.  
  
_I believe love is real  
_  
And she had fallen in love. She had thought she would go through life all alone, but then she had surprised even herself.  
  
_And I'm ready to heal_  
  
The wounds of hurt and loss that she had carried for the better part of ten years were now starting to heal. Thanks to Jack, she was finally ready to try and live again.  
  
_You show me how right I can be_  
  
Kay continued to stare out at the water, not noticing when the commodore walked by her, slowing as he reached her, as if debating whether or not to stop and talk to her, then hurry on faster than he had come.  
  
_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble That once was a wall_  
  
Kay examined the debris that had been her wall, having second thoughts. Was it such a good thing that it had fallen? She was free now yes, but now Jack was facing hanging. How was she supposed to deal with that?  
  
_Took years to build around me _

_And you came along _

_And you tore it down _

_Like it was nothing at all_  
  
He had torn down her walls, he had promised that he would take care of her. But how could he do that now, if he was sentenced to death?  
  
_Now it's a little scary Learning to fall_  
  
Kay was back to square one again. She was starting to become afraid of what would happen when she stopped falling. She teetered precariously on the edge of a cliff, staring down at the abyss. Jack had brought her there, but it was up to her to make the final leap of faith.  
  
_I was holding on, now I'm letting go_  
  
Jack had promised to help her. Now he couldn't. Kay swallowed hard, then reached her decision. She had to help him now, now it was her turn. She had to prove that she no longer needed to hide, that she could act for herself.  
  
_I was holding on, now I'm letting go_  
  
Without another backward glance Kay leaped out over the chasm, the wind whipping at her as she fell. She turned away from the railing of the ship. She would help Jack. But she would need help too. And for that she needed to find...  
  
_I was holding on, now I'm letting go  
_  
"Will." Will looked up as someone spoke his name. He saw Kay standing next to him. For the past few days she had been walking around in a kind of shocked daze. He was surprised at the sudden change in her manner. She looked suddenly determined, as if she had made up her mind about something, and was not about to be deterred from her chosen track. She look him in the eyes and said "I need your help."  
  
_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble _

_That once was a wall _

_Took years to build around me _

_And you came along And you tore it down _

_Like it was nothing at all _

_Now it's a little scary_

_ Learning to fall_  
  
"Here's what we need to do..."  
  
**Wow. My first attempt at a song fic. Hope you like it. Anyway I baked more cookies for my reviewers! We have soft chocolate chip, fudge cookies, cinnamon cookies, soft sugar cookies, and oatmeal cookies (without raisons. I HATE raisons.). If you would like another type review and let me know! But review fast or my dragon will steal all the cookies. Oh, and please tell me what a Marry Sue is, I still don't know! **


	12. One Thing Left to Live For

**Hey guys! Wow look at this! Two updates in one day! I'm doin good!**  
  
Chapter 12: One Thing Left to Live For  
  
Kay stepped out of the shop, her purchases under one arm as she started to thread her way through the people in the street, heading for the blacksmith's shop. They had reached port earlier today, and Elizabeth had announced her decision to take Kay home with her. She knew the girl had no where to go, and she didn't want to see her new friend living in the street. When they had reached the mansion, Elizabeth had given Kay some money and told her to go but some clothes. But she had really been trying to get Kay out of the house, figuring the girl needed some time alone. But it also gave Kay the perfect excuse to go see Will.  
She slipped into the blacksmith shop to find Will already working on his next sword. Mr. Brown was sitting in his chair, passed out drunk again. Kay wondered if he had known that Will was gone. Will glanced up and saw Kay, smiling slightly as he put aside the sword. Kay dropped her purchases on another chair and walked over to him.  
"Let's get you set up," Will said. He looked her over appraisingly, then walked over to one of the sword racks and made a selection. "Try this one out," he called to Kay and tossed it over to her. Kay caught in one handed, and Will raised an eyebrow, nodding approvingly. The girl had great reflexes.  
Kay drew the sword from its sheath, which she tossed on top of the things she had bought earlier, then began to go through some warm up exercises that she remembered from fencing class. She became completely absorbed in her task, and was therefore startled when Will blocked one of her strokes with a sword of his own.  
Kay fell back into a 'ready' stance, and Will followed suit. They waited for a moment, then began to attack. Will was surprised with how fast Kay was. She had admitted that she had taken fencing before, but that she had stopped after she got out of college, which had been about four years ago. For someone who hadn't practiced in so long, she was remembering quickly.  
They practiced a while longer, then Will called a halt. Kay slipped her sword back into its sheath as Will pulled over two more chairs. Kay gratefully sank into one. She was a little tired, because she hadn't practiced in so long, but she was in good shape from her constant workouts and figured that a few minutes to sit down would be all she needed.  
In the meantime she pulled over some of the things she had bought. A skirt and a shirt, then some sewing supplies. Will walked over, then raised his eyes when he saw what she was holding. Kay glanced up.  
"I figure it's best if I don't make what we're planning obvious. I'm going to make up this outfit so that all I have to do is tug open some strings, and it'll fall off." Will looked apprehensive, and Kay laughed. "I'll be wearing pants and a shirt under it, but this will hide the fact that I'm wearing a sword." Will was impressed. That was actually a very good idea. He watched for a few minutes as Kay began to work on her outfit.  
"Kay, are you sure that you want to do this?" he asked suddenly. Kay looked up at him, startled at the question. "You know we're probably not going to accomplish more than to be hung ourselves tomorrow. Why don't you let me do this. You don't need to be facing the hangman's noose." He pleaded.  
Kay took a breath, chewing on her lip. "Will," she said. "You haven't known me that long. About a week, right?" Will nodded, confused. "You know where, and when, I come from." Will nodded again. "What you don't know is what my life was like before this. When I was sixteen my parents died. Then over a couple of years I lost the three friends I made, and the only boyfriend I ever had. I lost everything I ever had to live for. When I got here, I found something to live for, after I had given up every hope of finding it again. I'm about to lose that, and if I do I'll lose the one thing that had made my life worth living. If I don't die by the hangman's noose I'll die of misery. And the former is quicker. So, thank you for the offer, but I'm going to fight along side you tomorrow."  
Will stared at Kay in shock. The quiet determination in the girl's voice had him stunned silent. He had no doubt that she meant what she said. He was brooding on it when Kay broke the silence.  
"So what about you? Did you find out what happened to your father?" Will glanced at her again, then nodded.  
"After he sent me a piece of the gold, Barbossa threw him over the side of the ship with a cannon tied to his boots," he said bitterly. Kay looked thoughtful for a minute.  
"He wouldn't be dead then," she said. Will looked at her in surprise. "Well, if he had taken a piece of the gold, then he would have been cursed too, and therefore wouldn't have died when he was dropped into the depths. All he would have to do is walk to the nearest piece of inhabited land." Will hadn't thought of that. But it sounded really sensible. It just might be true.  
Kay worked on her skirt for another few minutes when Will decided that he couldn't take the silence. "C'mon," he said standing up. "Let's get in some more practice."  
  
Kay sat up later that night in the room Elizabeth had given her, finishing work on her outfit. When she was finished she put it on over her regular clothes. She examined her reflection critically in the mirror. No one would be able to tell she was wearing a sword, and the skirt fell long enough to hide her pants. She wasn't going to be able to hide her boots, but she hadn't gotten any new shoes so that hardly mattered.  
She gave a hard tug on a carefully concealed string, and she was able to pull off her skirt, then gave another tug on a string on the back of her skirt and that came off just as easily. She had the entire outfit off in about 7 seconds.  
Kay smiled humorlessly at her reflection. She had been telling the truth to Will before. If Jack died tomorrow she would have no reason to live. She had just gained that reason and she was not about to let it get snatched away from her. This was an act of desperation, but then she was a desperate person.  
Her reflections were broken by a yawn. Kay changed quickly into the nightgown that she had bought. She would need all her wits about her tomorrow, she couldn't afford to weariness slow her reactions. She slipped into a bed after a last look in the mirror, still amazed at how different a woman she was from the woman who had first arrived, shaken and shell shocked on the Port Royal docks just a week gone.  
  
**Okay I know this is really short, but I wanted to end it before the whole fight scene the next day. I promise that that will be a longer chapter. Anyway, the cookies are still here. **

**Dragon: (crunch) **

**Me: Well, mostly anyway. So read and review! **


	13. An Act of Desperation

Heyla folks! I'm here to bring you the latest installment and to hand out cookies to my faithful reviewers. (keeps dragon away from cookie plates) So enjoy. Lawyer: Ha! I'm free! Me: How did you get out of the closet? Lawyer: I used my lawyer powers. HAHAHAHA! Me: 0.o Ooooooook then. Anyway- Lawyer: aHEM. (taps foot) Dragon: I'm hungry. Lawyer 0.0 (Backs away) Me: ANYway. Here's chapter 13. If you REALLY want to see the disclaimer, refer to the first few chapters. Oh, another thing. Rereading the last chapter I noticed that I made a mistake. In an earlier chapter I mentioned that Kay was wearing sandals, but in chapter 12 I said that she was wearing boots. For any confused persons out there that was my screw up, she's wearing sandals. Sorry for the mix up. Now on with the story!  
  
Chapter 13: An Act of Desperation  
  
Kay shifted nervously from foot to foot, last minute butterflies zooming around in her stomach. She tried taking a few calming breaths, but they didn't work. She was standing on the other side of the column that Elizabeth and company were standing next to. She didn't want to be standing too close to the commodore when events went underway. Someone started reading the list of Jack's crimes.  
"Piracy..."  
No duh, Kay thought, rolling her eyes. He's a pirate you moron. Of course he committed piracy.  
"This is wrong," she heard Elizabeth mutter fretfully. Kay smiled, glad that the girl was sticking up for Jack.  
"Commodore Norington is bound by the law," she heard the Governor answer his daughter. "As are we all."  
Not all of us, Kay thought glancing over at Will. Not all of us. The man continued to read Jack's list of crimes to the watching crowd.  
"Impersonating an officer of the Spanish navy, Impersonating a cleric of the Church of England..."  
Kay threw a sharp glance in Jack's direction, along with a giggle that bordered on hysteria. She could just see Jack doing that too.  
Then something caught and held her attention. Murtuog and Mollroy, the two idiot guards Kay had seen the first day she arrived, were shaking the flag pole they were holding. Kay was ignoring them however, she way too busy staring at the bird perched on top of the pole, squawking at the two below. It was Cotton's parrot.  
The sight of the bird lent hope to Kay, gave a chance of success to an operation that seemed doomed to failure before it began. Maybe they could actually pull this off.  
  
Jack: Jack glanced around the courtyard. Elizabeth was standing at the back along with her father and fiancée. Will was wandering around, wearing a red cape and a hat with a large feather. Kay was standing on the opposite side of the column that Elizabeth was standing next to. She was shifting from foot to foot, nervously running her hand down her skirt, or crossing her arms in front of her. She was chewing her lip, glancing from him to Will, and randomly around the court. Jack wondered if he'd really done the girl any favors. He'd convinced her that it was alright to care for people and she cared for him, now he was about to get hung.  
He'd sworn to keep her from getting hurt, but this could very well kill her. He watched Kay miserably, wondering if she'd forgive him. Then he saw her turn and stare off to her right. She stopped shifting and glanced over at Will, who looked at Kay, then followed her gesturing hand. Jack was about to turn to see what they were looking at, but then Kay looked directly at him and caught his eye. She mouthed "hang on" across the courtyard.  
Will was speaking to Elizabeth. Whatever he said caused the other two men to look at her in shock, and Elizabeth to drop her jaw slightly in surprise.  
Will stepped back then, nodded at Kay, and started to wend his way through the crowd as quickly as he could. Jack looked over at Kay, who was tying a black bandanna into her hair. That's when Jack realized that the guy had stopped speaking. Kay stepped away from the column and gave a tug at her skirt, which fell around her feet, revealing brown breeches and a sword, then gave another tug at the back of her shirt, which she also pulled off, revealing the loose pirate shirt she'd been wearing when he last saw her. She drew her sword and followed Will.  
  
Kay: The man finished reading the list of Jack's crimes just as Will stepped up to the commodore.  
"Commodore, Governor," he said with a respectful bow of his head to each of them. "Elizabeth," he said, turning to look at her. "I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you." The commodore and the Governor turned in shock to stare at her while Elizabeth just stared at Will. Kay smiled.  
Then Will stepped back and nodded to Kay. She raised her hands and tied a bandanna into her hair, then tugged off her skirt and shirt to reveal her pirate outfit, drew her sword, and took off after Will.  
"Marines," she heard the commodore mutter, and she whipped around to face him. But Elizabeth took control of that part of the situation nicely.  
"I can't breathe," she said, then collapsed backwards, drawing the attention of her father and fiancée. Thank you, Kay thought to the girl. She pushed through the crowd after Will. The drum-roll stopped. The executioner put his hand on the lever. Kay screamed "no!" just as she heard Will shout "move!" As the executioner pulled the lever Will threw his sword. It stuck fast in the trapdoor as it came swinging down, and Jack's feet found it before he was hanged. Will drew another sword and went tearing up the stairs to the platform to fight the executioner.  
Kay reached the front of the crowd and followed Will up the steps to fight off the two soldiers who had climbed up as well. In the confusion Will lost his sword and had to duck the swing of the executioner's axe, which helpfully cut through the rope of the noose, causing Jack to drop to the ground below. Kay kicked one of the soldiers in the chest and fell off the platform, trying to grab his follow for support but instead bringing him down as well. Kay leaped off the other side, landing behind Jack, who tossed Will the other end of the noose rope he was holding and the two ran across the courtyard. Kay followed, gleefully tripping and kicking the soldiers who tried to stop her. Jack and Will tripped a few soldiers, then wrapped the next few in the rope, which they dragged around the column and jerked. Kay caught up with them, helping to parry the blows of the soldiers who ran at them. They turned and dived out into the courtyard again, Will snatching up a sword as they went. But they were finally surrounded at the column when they went near it again. Will and Jack put Kay between them, shielding her from the swords and bayonets of the soldiers. They dropped their weapons, not wanting to give the soldiers any more incentives to attack them. The Commodore pushed through the crowd, and Will moved so that he was in front of Jack and Kay. Jack slipped his arm around Kay's waist.  
I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill conceived escape attempt," Norrington said scathingly to Jack. "But not from you," he addressed to Will.  
Governor Swan stepped up beside the Commodore, bristling with righteous anger.  
"Upon our return to Port Royal I granted you two clemency," he snapped at Will and Kay. "And this is how you repay me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate."  
"And a good man," Will responded just as forcefully, while Kay raised her chin in defiance. She noticed that Elizabeth was standing just behind Norington. "If all that we have achieved today is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, then so be it!" Will snapped.  
"Three pairs," Kay interjected, then smirked. "Though actually I'm not wearing boots, I only have sandals." Will continued as though she hadn't spoken, while the Commodore refused to look in her direction.  
"At least my conscience will be clear," Will said.  
"You forget your place Turner," Norrington hissed.  
"It's right here," Will responded. "Between you, and Jack and Kay." Norrington did flick a glance at Kay then, and was startled by the change in her. Instead of the lost, haunted young girl she had been when he first saw her, was now a determined, fiery woman. He couldn't help but marvel at the change.  
It was then that Elizabeth pushed forward to stand next to Will. "As is mine," she told him.  
"Elizabeth!" exclaimed Governore Swan. "Lower your weapons," he said frantically to the soliders. "For God's sake put them down!" The soldiers reluctantly complied with the order.  
"This is the path you've chosen?" Norrington asked Elizabeth hopelessly.  
She nodded. "It is." Norrington swallowed, then stepped back.  
"Well," Jack released Kay and stepped around Will and Elizabeth to face the Governor. Unnoticed, Kay slipped her sword back into its sheath. "I'm actually feeling rather good about all this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place spiritually, ecumenically. Grammatically." Kay laughed. Jack stepped over to face Norrington. "I was rooting for you," he told him. "Know that."  
Then he darted back to where Kay was standing and addressed Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, it would never have worked between us darling. I'm sorry." Elizabeth gave him a weird look, while Kay had to hide her mouth behind her hand to suppress her helpless sniggers.  
"Will," Jack said to Will, then couldn't seem to think of anything to say, so he settled for, "nice hat." Will grinned.  
Jack grabbed Kay by the arm and pulled her towards the parapet. "My friends," he said turning to address the crowd as he backed up, pulling Kay with him. "This is the day that you will always remember as the day that you almost-"  
The crowd never got to hear the rest of the statement, as Jack backed into the parapet, lost his balance, and fell over taking Kay with him. Kay let out a shriek, twisting in midair so she would hit the water feet first. She surfaced before Jack did, then hit him on the shoulder when he did surface. Jack just grinned, glancing back up at the fort, and all the watching people. She picked out Will and Elizabeth and silently wished them luck. Then someone shouted, pointing out across the water.  
Turning, Kay and Jack saw the Black Pearl sailing in. Kay grinned. "I'll race you there," she said to Jack.  
"Is that a challenge?" he asked her.  
"Sure is," she replied, then shot off through the water, Jack following closely behind.  
  
Will: Will watched his two friends swimming through the water and wished them luck.  
"Commodore!" He heard Gillette call to Norrington. "What should we do?" Norrington bit his lip.  
The Governor looked at him and smiled a bit. "Sometimes when pursuing a course of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course," he suggested quietly. Norrington ducked his head and smiled a bit.  
"Mr. Turner!" he called, and turned to face Will.  
Elizabeth placed a worried hand on Will's arm and he turned to face her. "I will accept the consequences of my actions," he told her, the turned to face the Commodore.  
Norrington was contemplating the sword in his hand. "This is a very beautiful sword." He said, then looked Will right in the eyes. "I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."  
Will nodded. "Thank you." Norrington smiled then turned to walk away, paused, and turned to face Elizabeth.  
"Ms. Swan. The very best of luck to you both," he said to her, then turned and walked down the steps.  
"Commodore!" called Gillette. "What about Sparrow? Should I ready the Dauntless for pursuit?" The Commodore paused, still smiling.  
"Oh I think that we can give him one day's head start." Then he left the plaza, leaving Gillette standing in disbelief.  
As everyone else began to leave Governor Swan turned to face his daughter. "This is the path you've chosen? After all, he is a blacksmith."  
"No," said Elizabeth, but she was facing Will. "He's a pirate." Will cupped her face in his hands, then leaned in and kissed her.  
  
Kay: Kay and Jack grabbed hold of the rope that was tossed to the two of them and were swung high up into the air, then dropped to the deck, where they both fell over. Gibbs came to stand in front of them.  
"I thought you were supposed to keep to the code," Jack said to him.  
"Well we figured they was more of, guidelines." Jack grinned and Gibbs extended his hand and pulled Jack to his feet, then extended a hand to Kay to help her to her feet. "I kept your pack for you," he said to Kay.  
"Thank you," said Kay, glad that she had some other changes of clothing, and touched that Gibbs had actually held her stuff for her.  
"Captain Sparrow," everyone turned to look at Anna-Maria, who walked away from the ship's wheel, and placed Jack's hat on his head and draped his coat around his shoulders. "The Black Pearl is yours," she said and stepped away.  
Jack walked over to the wheel and lovingly caressed it. Then he realized that the crew was watching him. "On deck you scabrous dogs!" he called out, barking orders that the crew scattered out to follow, grinning. Kay laughed, then started to walk off to help, but Jack grabbed her wrist and tugged her over to stand in front of him. He pulled out his compass to plot a course. "Now, bring me that horizon." He started to hum. Kay recognized the tune as the song that he and Elizabeth had sung on the island. "Drink up me hearties yo ho!" he called out. Kay laughed again, throwing her head back. Jack put his compass away, and used his arm to turn Kay around to face him. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, then pulled her forward and kissed her. Then he put his hand under her chin, tilting her face to look up at his.  
"Thank you," he whispered.  
Kay shrugged. "What else was I supposed to do? I'm not just gonna let you go now." The last she said fiercely, narrowing her eyes defiantly. Jack chuckled.  
"I know. Just don't go getting yourself killed."  
"I won't if you won't." Kay's words were light, but her tone was dead serious.  
"Agreed. Your all right now?"  
Kay thought for a minute, then slowly began to smile. "Yes. I really am alright." She said wonderingly. She turned to look out to the horizon. Whatever crossed that bright sea, whatever obstacles were thrown in her path she was now ready to face them head on. No more cowering in the dark, no more hiding from the world. She was free, finally free, and she was going to stay that way.  
  
Wowza. I can't believe this story is done. It seems like yesterday that I started typing it. Well, I'd like to say thank you to all my reviewers, and hand out the rest of my cookies. I will write a sequel to this story as soon as the second movie comes out, I want this to follow the movies but I will write other stories and I hope you all will read those. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll see you all soon! 


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